


You're Just What I Need

by Stacysmash



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Canon Divergence, Celebrity AU, Comedy, Day 1, Fluff, Friendship, Getting Together, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Mangaka AU, Mature rating for getting sexy but no smut!, Misunderstanding, Sexual Tension, a little established relationship, background asasuga, bad language, caregiver Daichi, hardly worth mentioning really, hint of toraken, kurodai weekend, mangaka Kuroo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-13 20:03:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16899012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: As a caregiver living in Tokyo, Daichi is used to caring for elderly individuals or people too injured to care for themselves. When he meets his newest client, a handsome, young mangaka who simply has no time to take care of his needs, Daichi finds himself in the awkward position of finding his client a bit of a distraction and vice versa.Kurodai Weekend Day 1: Celebrity AU





	1. Daichi Meets a helpless Kuroo

**Author's Note:**

> This was becoming so absurdly long that I decided to split it up in 4 parts. The next two chapters should be uploaded right away! It's the fourth part that's set me back a bit, but hopefully it'll be done by tomorrow.

Daichi wasn’t sure what to expect as he wandered by several apartment complexes, searching for the one listed on his paper. His job as a caregiver wasn’t the most glamorous job, but it gave him a deep sense of satisfaction that he was giving an elderly person what they needed to live the last years of their life in comfort. It was his first time being hired by a publishing company of all things, and he rarely worked in this section of Tokyo. Most people who lived there could afford servants to care for their every need.

He finally located the right building and froze mid-step when he spotted a doorman hovering outside the apartment. The uniformed man glanced his way, cocking his head with interest.

“Um, excuse me, but I’m here for a Daishou Suguru?”

The man perked up and looked Daichi over more carefully. “Ah, yes, from the agency? Don’t worry, he’s expecting you.”

“Oh,” Was all Daichi could say as the man beamed at him and opened the door.

“You were given a code for his suite, yes? The number pad is just above the floor numbers, just punch it in after you press the appropriate floor. And don’t be alarmed when he answers the door, he’s never what people expect!” He laughed and shut the door behind Daichi, leaving him alone in the spacious apartment lobby. It was incredibly elegant for just an entrance, something Daichi found to be a little excessive as he gaped at the crystal chandelier hanging above his head.

He rushed toward the elevator, clicked the button, and punched in the code, anxious to reach the apartment and get to work. The doorman said that Daishou wasn’t what people expected, so Daichi didn’t have a clue what to imagine. What he’d expect is some eccentric old man with a ridiculous amount of money to spend on unnecessary things, but Daichi chided himself on judging the poor man before he even met him. If he needed a caregiver, Daichi needed to treat him with as much compassion as he does his more impoverished clients.

The elevator opened into a warm hallway with gold plated room numbers listed on the wall straight across from him with directions to each room. Daichi squinted at them and looked around for clarification. There were only four rooms listed, which meant each apartment would have to be massive considering the size of the floor. He hoped he would even feel comfortable touching something in an apartment of that grandeur.

He adjusted the heavy bag on his shoulder and crept down the hallway toward Daishou’s apartment, nervous that if he should even creak the floor some security guard would pop out of nowhere and throw him out a window for not belonging there. When he finally made it to the door, he took a calming breath and pressed the doorbell, hearing the melodious chime echo in the room inside. Daichi hopped on his toes as he waited, wondering why he would be feeling nervous just because the man was rich. The suspense was killing him, and regardless of how large the apartment was the tenant should have answered the door by then.

He pressed the doorbell again and waited, glancing at his watch to make sure he had the right day and time. A heavy thud against the door startled him, as did the weary groan that followed after it. A series of clicks later, the door cracked open, revealing the messiest bedhead he had ever seen, the waves of black hair covering half the man’s face.

“Ugh, um, can I help you?” He said, peering at Daichi from the only eye he could see as he struggled to keep it open.

The doorman had been right, he was definitely not what Daichi had been expecting. Even with his haggard appearance, he was obviously a young man, and despite being exhausted seemed perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

“I’m Sawamura Daichi, your new caregiver. You are Daishou-san, I presume?”

The man stiffened at Daichi’s question and hissed through his teeth, his one eye flashing dangerously. He stood up to full height and swung the door open, hovering over Daichi with a finger pointed in his face.

“ _Don’t… say… that… name_. That’s my bastard editor and his name is forbidden in this place, understand?”

Daichi frowned and grabbed hold of the man’s finger, squeezing it till the man fell in a heap at his feet with whimpers of pain.

“Fine, but don’t ever stick your finger in my face. If you’re not… he-who-shall-not-be-named, then who are you?”

“Kuroo Tetsurou, at your service,” He wheezed, stroking his injured finger against his chest. He froze for a moment, his eye opening wide as he cocked his head up at Daichi. “Caregiver you said? Oh shit, that was today?”

“Actually, my instructions say I’m to come every day of the work week around this time. Is that not correct?”

Kuroo groaned again and rolled away from the door to his stomach, his limbs trembling as he tried to stand up. “I’m so busy!”

“Right, well then perhaps that’s what I’m supposed to help with. Fixing meals and cleaning so you can concentrate on your work.”

Daichi tried to subdue the amused smile that crept up on his face as he watched Kuroo cling to the wall, so he could shove his feet underneath him. He shuffled inside the genkan and shut the door behind him, dropping his bag on the floor so he could help. His hands pressed against Kuroo’s ribs, and the exhausted man let out an impressively high shriek and lunged out of the way, smacking his face against the wall.

“What are you doing?!”

“Trying to help you up! God, you are a mess, aren’t you? Here,” Daichi huffed, already tired of the whole charade. He gripped Kuroo’s arm and swung it around the back of his neck and stabilized him with his arm around his slender waist. Kuroo no longer resisted as he leaned his entire weight against him. Daichi was barely able to shuffle out of his shoes before stumbling them further into the apartment.

“Just over there, on the sofa,” Kuroo instructed, dragging his feet beneath him.

“Why are you like this?”

“Jeesh, you just met me and you’re already asking me that? Why does no one like my dazzling personality?”

“No, I mean why are you exhausted? When was the last time you slept?”

“Oh, uh… I don’t know, a couple days? I’m losing track.”

With a great amount of effort, Daichi was able to drag Kuroo past the narrow kitchen and drop him onto the sofa. Immediately, Kuroo stretched out across it with a moan and closed his eyes. Daichi waited for him to open them, but his deep breaths told him Kuroo had already fallen asleep.

Rolling his eyes, Daichi straightened up and rubbed his sore shoulder that had supported most of Kuroo’s weight. He took the opportunity to glance around the room and grimaced at the horrifying state of it. Disregarding the mess, it was a lovely space with large windows overlooking the city with a narrow balcony just outside the sliding glass doors. The kitchen had all the state-of-the-art appliances, but they were difficult to see beyond the pile of dishes overflowing from the sink onto the counter and the stained coffee mugs surrounding the pot giving off a stomach-churning burnt smell. Daichi slipped in there first to turn off the pot before the remaining coffee turned to sludge and gazed over the island to survey the rest of the apartment.

Past the kitchen was the long sofa holding his snoozing client that faced a massive TV fixed on the wall. He imagined the slim cabinets on either side of it held DVD’s and such, but he noticed a sheen of dust over them showing their lack of use. On the other side of the sofa was what should have been a dining space, but instead held four separate desks pushed together, each with their own chair. Beyond them was one more desk, shoved up against the windows with papers, pencils, and pens scattered across it.

Slowly the clues were beginning to thread together in Daichi’s mind as he crept closer to the messy desk. Every page had different scenes depicted in messy sketches, split up into separate panels. It seemed like some sort of action sequence, but it seemed rather empty with just the main characters drawn and no backgrounds.   

_Hmm, I didn’t realize Nohebi Publishers also did manga_ , Daichi mused, feeling silly that he hadn’t considered it before since Nohebi was one of the biggest publishing houses in Tokyo. He had assumed Kuroo was some eccentric, elderly novelist. He glanced over at the sofa at the spray of black hair popping above the armrest and snorted.  There was something so intriguing about Kuroo that Daichi felt certain there would be more surprises to come.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, startling him from his thoughts. When he pulled it out, he saw that it was Nohebi Publishing calling him directly and immediately answered as he slipped out onto the balcony.

“Hello?”

“ _Yeah, is this Sawamura-san?”_

“Yes, speaking.”

“ _Great, this is Daishou Suguru, Kuroo’s editor. Did you find the place okay?”_

“I made it here just fine, but Kuroo passed out as soon as I came in. He’s sleeping on the sofa.”

“ _Oh, good. Let him get about an hour and then wake him up so he can get back to work._ ”

“Shouldn’t he get longer than that? He seems exhausted.”

“ _He should have thought of that before he started messing with his storylines and pushed himself way past the deadline. We have a schedule to keep_.”

“I see.” _Kuroo’s right, he is a bit of a bastard._

“ _Anyway, save this number in your phone and call me if you have any issues. You should have the apartment clear today but tomorrow I’m afraid you’ll have to work around his assistants_.”

“That’s fine. After today it shouldn’t be too hard to straighten up tomorrow.”

Daishou didn’t answer right away, but Daichi didn’t like the sinister chuckle that slithered through the speaker.

“ _Well, I’ll leave you to it, Sawamura-san. Good luck with that rooster-haired idiot_!”

The line went dead before Daichi could say anything in return and he returned the phone back to his pocket with a shiver. Luckily, he was a very independent worker and shouldn’t need Daishou’s help with anything. He drew in a deep breath of the delightful city air and admired the view briefly before turning back inside.

Growing up with two busy parents and two younger siblings, Daichi was always used to taking care of other people. He knew from cleaning their house at an early age that he always felt better starting in the kitchen. What was the point of doing all the work if you didn’t have space to cook and eat?

First, he emptied the coffee pot, rinsed it, and prepared a fresh one to brew before he would wake Kuroo. He had a feeling the slumbering man would need it. After that, he swept through the dishes as quietly as possible. Even though it was impossible not to _clink_ and _clatter_ a little bit, nothing seemed to stir Kuroo from his rest.

Gradually he moved his way throughout the apartment, picking up bits of clothing and collecting it for the laundry and shuffling random items to a pile for sorting later. The only thing he did not touch was Kuroo’s workspace in the corner. He knew doing so could have disastrous consequences and decided to save any vacuuming for after Kuroo woke up.

His watch beeped an hour later, a timer he had set knowing he’d lose track of time while he cleaned. He rushed into the kitchen first to start the coffee back up and wandered back to the sofa. Kuroo was turned on his back with one arm laying against his forehead while the other was slung off the sofa. It was the first time Daichi had a good look at his face and disregarding the dark circles under his eyes, he could tell that Kuroo was actually very handsome.

_Hmm, his body’s not bad either_ , Daichi thought with a smirk as his eyes ran down the length of him. His face heated uncomfortably as his mind started to tip south and shook his head. Kuroo was just like any other client who needed his help. Just because he seems to be exactly Daichi’s type physically didn’t mean anything.

“Kuroo-san, it’s time for you to get up,” He said gently, giving his shoulder a nudge. Kuroo’s lips moved as a stream of nonsensical mutterings came from it before his jaw fell slack once again. Daichi tried prodding him a little harder, but it didn’t seem to help. With a huff, Daichi leaned over, resting his arm on the back of the sofa as he leaned in toward Kuroo’s ear.

“ _KUROO!_ ” He shouted with the gusto he used to reserve for his underclassmen on his high school volleyball team. Kuroo’s eyes flew open, his whole body jerking like he’d been shocked by a lightning bolt

“What the hell?!”

“It’s time for you to wake up!” Daichi answered with a cheerful grin and vigorously rubbed his fingers through Kuroo’s messy hair. _Oh shit, that’s soft_. He left Kuroo on the sofa to wake up and wandered back in the kitchen to fetch him a fresh cup of coffee. He was also anxious to avoid being punched, just in case that was something Kuroo felt like doing once he sat up.

“How long was I asleep?”

“A little over an hour. Daish—Um, a certain someone told me to get you up after that amount of time. How do you like your coffee?”

“Black and hot as the fires of hell,” Kuroo groaned as he rubbed his eyes. When Daichi returned to his side with a mug of steaming coffee, he was blinking owlishly as his head swiveled. “Where am I?”

“Your apartment?”

“But it’s clean. You did all that already?”

“Yeah, but I still have a lot to do. I need to vacuum, straighten up your bathroom and bedroom as well, switch the laundry and organize all the stuff I put on your coffee table.”

“Ugh, that sounds like so much work.”

“Well, yeah, that’s my job. It’s not too bad, at least it doesn’t turn me into a zombie.”

“Hey, now, I love what I do… most of the time.”

Kuroo stared into his mug like he wanted to drown himself in it. He finally lifted it to his lips and took a long sip of coffee, closing his eyes as with a grateful sigh. Daichi snickered and left him in peace, heading straight to the laundry to switch it. He hadn’t entered the bedroom yet, but he was certain the sheets would need to go through as well.

“This is good coffee.”

“Thanks,” Daichi laughed from the narrow closet in the hall that held the washer and dryer.

“And you can clean… can you cook?”

“Yup, speaking of which, will you need dinner?”

“Definitely, I haven’t really eaten anything today.”

Daichi froze from his task and turned to glare at the man leaning back on the sofa. “You what?”

“I haven’t had anything to eat today.”

“And how much coffee have you had?”

Kuroo squinted as he stared at a spot on the ceiling as if it would magically give him the answer. “Uh, since when? Like since this morning, the past twenty-four hours, or since I last ate?”

Daichi clicked his teeth and ran into the kitchen and started rooting around in the cabinets. “You need something other than coffee to give you energy, especially if you’re not sleeping. You’re going to collapse at this point.”

“Yeah, that’s usually what happens.”

“Not anymore, come over here and eat this while I make something more filling.”

“What about all your cleaning?” Kuroo asked as he snatched a throw off the back of the sofa with one hand and tossed it over his shoulders.

“It can wait, your health is my number one priority. I’m surprised you have fresh fruit and vegetables in here.”

“Yeah, the Bastard Snake has them delivered every so often, but they usually go bad before I eat them,” Kuroo explained as he shuffled toward the island and sat on the stool. Daichi wrenched the mug of coffee out of his hand and replaced it with a bottle of water and shoved a plate of cut vegetables in front of him.

“Not anymore they won’t. No more coffee until you finish every last bit of food and water I give you.”

To Daichi’s surprise, a wide grin spread across Kuroo’s face as he leaned over the counter. “Yes, Sir. Do you boss all your clients around like this?”

“Only the more helpless ones.”

“Ouch,” Kuroo chuckled. He apparently decided not to test his luck any further and proceeded to clean the plate while Daichi fixed him some more food. Daichi threw his full concentration into his cooking, but after a while, he had an itchy feeling crawling up his back as a set of heavy-lidded eyes were most likely watching his back.

“Hey, Sa’amuraaaaa, are you married?”

“Nope.”

“Why not? You seem like such a catch!”

Daichi chuckled and turned off the burner, setting the pan aside to grab a clean plate. “Thanks, but it’s not easy, you know? To find someone you like enough to settle down with them forever?”

“Ah, you’re picky.”

“Where’s your wife, Kuroo-san?” Daichi asked, setting a plate of steaming food in front of Kuroo as he looked around the apartment.

“Touché,” Kuroo laughed, holding his hands up in admission. His eyes widened when they fell to the plate in front of him and gaped for a whole minute before he could say anything. “Holy shit, will you marry me?!”

“Not until you buy me dinner properly. What kind of a man do you think I am?”

Kuroo let out an impish giggle and proceeded to shovel the food in his mouth. Daichi gulped as moans of pleasure ripped through Kuroo’s throat and turned his back to him. He wasn’t an innocent teenager anymore, but the alluring noises Kuroo was making were enough to turn his face bright red. He took a deep breath to calm his quickening pulse and focused on cleaning the pans he had dirtied making Kuroo’s meal.

When Kuroo had wiped the plate clean of every morsel, he grunted and patted his stomach as if it was larger than normal.

“Damn, that was delicious. I better find time to take you on a date, I can’t let some woman snatch you away from me before I have the chance.”

Daichi had dated in the past, but he was never the flirtatious type. But something about the crazy-haired man and his sly smile stirred a boldness in him that must have been buried deep. He met Kuroo’s grin with one of his own and leaned against the island, excitement fluttering through his veins when Kuroo leaned toward him.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Women aren’t my type.”

As Kuroo’s mouth dropped open, Daichi gave him a wink and snatched his empty plate away to be washed, snickering at Kuroo’s stunned silence.

“Sawamura, you may be the ballsiest bastard I’ve ever met.”

“You wouldn’t be the first to say it.”

Kuroo tipped his head back and cackled. Daichi’s cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling so deeply, but the sound of Kuroo’s laughter and the refreshing expression on his face from being so stressed filled Daichi with relief.

“Oh man, I better get to work otherwise the guys are gonna kill me tomorrow.”

“Guys?”  
“Yeah, my assistants. Don’t worry, they won’t get in your way, though a couple might be a little noisy. I have to wear noise-canceling headphones when they’re here.”

“Don’t worry about me, I have a lot of experience with that type. And I’ll make sure to stay out of your way while you’re working but let me know if there’s anything you need.”

“Thanks, Sawamura, I appreciate it,” Kuroo said as he slipped off his stool and wrapped the blanket over his shoulders closer around him. He gave Daichi a wink of his own before staggering back to his desk with a loud yawn.

_So much for professionalism_ , Daichi chided himself.


	2. Kuroo and His Friends

The day that Daichi started with his new client, Kuroo Tetsurou, was one of the rare days he actually found him to be alone. As he soon found out, the spacious apartment was typically filled with people either helping him complete his manuscript or with other friends who had no reason to be there than to just hang out. Despite the crowd, Daichi found it fun and lively having them around while he worked, and they were careful not to get in his way. In fact, they were overjoyed to have him there. Yaku Morisuke nearly wept when he walked into Kuroo’s apartment to find it sparkling clean with fresh coffee in the pot and food laid out for the assistants to snack on.

“Sawamura-san, will you marry Kuroo?” He asked as his impressive grip dug into Daichi’s arms and his large, brown eyes glistened with hopeful tears.

“Wow, another proposal! I didn’t realize I was such a catch,” Daichi snickered as he wiggled out of Yaku’s hold so he could continue dusting.

“Yakkun, get your ass back over here. These panels won’t beta themselves.”

“I will if you take that stupid headband off your head. Sawamura’s never gonna marry you looking like that.”

“I can’t, I need to see! Besides, Sawamura’s already falling in love with me so I think I’m doing alright.”

“How? Has he even seen you bathed?”

Daichi buried himself in a cabinet to hide his blushing face, pretending to reach further in to dust things that didn’t need to be dusted. It was true that he hadn’t seen Kuroo all cleaned up, but somehow his disheveled appearance couldn’t hinder his allure. Daichi had a feeling he’d be doomed if he ever saw him right after a bath.

He was startled from his work when he heard a soft laugh behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and found Kai smiling at the arguing duo in amusement.

“Sorry, they’re always like this.”

“It’s fine, reminds me of my friends back home.”

“Good. Just the same, I’ll try to keep it from getting out of hand.”

Kai had a calm and mellow demeanor, the perfect addition between Kuroo’s friendship with Yaku since bickering was their primary mode of communication. Which was a blessing, considering the drastic increase in noise whenever Yamamoto joined the team. He was obnoxious and suspicious of Daichi when they first met but offering him one of his homemade rice balls made Yamamoto an instant fan of his for life. The only one that Daichi didn’t have a handle on was Fukunaga, who tended to slip through the apartment like a ghost, observing everything around him and slipping in a comment occasionally that sometimes had Daichi scratching his head. When he asked Kuroo about it, he just laughed and assured him he’d get used to it.

“Once you get the hang of Fukunaga, he’ll crack you up with things he says like you wouldn’t imagine,” He chuckled, giving Daichi a playful nudge with his elbow and wandered back to his desk with a fresh cup of coffee.

Despite the addition of so many lively characters, they did settle down once they focused on their own work. Then the whole half of that room transformed into a whirlwind of pencil scribbles, pages rattling, and heavy sighs. The whole scene was fascinating to Daichi and as much as he appreciated his older clients, it was fun to witness the whole process behind creating a manga.

Seeing the young men focused on their work encouraged Daichi in his own, and after a week or two, he found their presence just as comfortable as when he was alone with Kuroo. Perhaps more comfortable, considering the increase in sexual tension when it was just the two of them. In cases like that, the quiet was thick and filled with curious glances and nervous laughter when their eyes would lock.

The atmosphere seemed to relax, surprisingly, whenever Kuroo took a break from his work and settled down at the kitchen island to have a snack or meal. Daichi usually sat down with him and the conversation flowed with playful banter and laughter. Their initial flirting eased as they became familiar with each other, but it didn’t stop Daichi from falling for him more and more each day.

A few weeks into his contract with Kuroo, Daichi showed up at his apartment and let himself in like normal. Kuroo had given him his own key on the second day so Daichi wouldn’t have to wait for him to drag himself across the apartment to let him in, especially when he sometimes slept late into the morning from working all night.

When he entered the apartment, however, there was a young man lounging on the sofa that Daichi had never seen before. He seemed a similar age to Kuroo, though smaller and slender, and his blonde-dyed hair fell around his face and came down to his chin. His eyes were large as he stared at the screen, his fingers flying across his game controller, so he could defeat the enemy he was fighting on the screen.

Daichi was unsure of how to greet him, and he couldn’t subdue the swirl of unease in his stomach at the person’s level of comfort on Kuroo’s sofa. It was also early in the morning, which meant that the person most likely spent the night. As he ventured further in, large, amber eyes flickered to him and the game paused, saturating the room in a heavy silence.

“You must be Sawamura-san,” The young man said as he tossed the game controller on the cushion next to him and stood up to greet him. “I’m Kozume Kenma, nice to meet you.”

“Uh, pleasure to meet you,” Daichi stammered as he shuffled into the kitchen and set down his bag of supplies. He expected Kozume to explain who he was and what he was doing there, but instead, he sat on a barstool at the island and watched Daichi closely as he set to work.

Daichi tried focusing on what he was doing but when his eyes fell on the red hoodie draped over Kozume’s slender frame, his skin turned to ice. Daichi had seen Kuroo wear that hoodie plenty of times, one of his favorites from high school. He flinched when he realized he was staring and jerked away, but not before seeing the calculating gaze Kozume was giving him.

“This place looks nice, you do a good job. He wasn’t always so messy, but it comes with the job,” He said nonchalantly as if revealing to Daichi that they have a long past wasn’t such a big deal.

“Oh, thanks. You know, I’ve met most of his friends, but I don’t recall him ever mentioning you.”

“That’s because I don’t work for him. I’m not surprised he never mentioned me; when you’re with someone for so long sometimes your presence just becomes a natural part of them.”

Daichi pressed his lips in a tight line, trying hard to conceal his hurt. It wasn’t as if Kuroo had asked him out and perhaps he had misread the flirting and comfort between them. He gulped and tried to think of something to say but couldn’t think of anything. His hands moved on their own as he prepared a pot of coffee and some breakfast. As he was portioning out the ingredients, he froze, knowing he needed to ask but dreaded saying the words.

“Uh, Kozume-san, will you want breakfast?”

“Just Kozume is fine and no, I hardly eat it. Just make enough for you guys, otherwise, Kuro will force me to eat it.”

Daichi tried not to flinch at the nickname but was relieved it wasn’t Kuroo’s given name though it sounded like they were close enough to use it. _Just get over it, it was just a bit of flirting… it was obviously nothing,_ Daichi chided himself but he couldn’t help his debilitating disappointment. He was clumsier than usual as he made Kuroo’s breakfast and felt the heated gaze of Kozume against his back.

Like clockwork, as soon as he was finished with breakfast Kuroo stumbled out of his bedroom looking even more haggard than usual. Jealousy sunk its cold fingers into Daichi’s chest and gripped his heart tightly, his mind automatically wondering what they had done last night for him to be so exhausted. He took a deep shuddering breath to remain focused and set the plate of food in front of Kuroo’s spot with a mug of coffee.

Kuroo reached out his arms and staggered toward the bar stool, a relieved smile spreading on his lips as he inhaled the aromatic steam curling up from the mug. Kozume narrowed his eyes up at him and scrunched his nose when Kuroo released an embarrassingly loud moan of pleasure when he finally took a sip.

“Oh, man, that is so good,” He sighed as he set the mug down and lifted his eyes to Daichi. “Thanks, Love.”

It wasn’t the first time Kuroo playfully called him that, but it never felt like he’d been stabbed before. The hurt must have shown on his face when Kuroo frowned and cocked his head. Before Kuroo could ask, Daichi turned around to clean up the pans and shrugged his shoulders.

“Sure. It’s my job, you know.”

“You didn’t make any for yourself?”

“N-No, not today. I’m in a bit of a hurry so I need to clean everything up quickly,” He explained, hoping it was enough to excuse him from lingering in the apartment any longer than he could stomach. He placed all the dirty dishes in the sink to scrub up, but the silence behind him was suffocating. Undoubtedly, Kuroo and Kozume were having a silent conversation, yet another sign that they were extremely close. Desperate to escape the situation, he turned the water off, wiped his hands on his half apron, and snatched up his cleaning supplies on his way out of the kitchen.

“I’ll just let those soak. I’m going to start with the bathroom today,” He said quickly without meeting anyone’s eye. He was furious, but not with Kuroo. It hadn’t even occurred to him how far his feelings for Kuroo had gone until it was too late, and he was certain he had given himself away since he was unable to keep it together. His only hope was that he hadn’t made it uncomfortable between Kuroo and Kozume since he was obviously upset.

He rushed through the bedroom, desperate to avoid a glimpse of anything that would hint to what they had done the previous night and shut himself in Kuroo’s bathroom. As messy as the rest of the apartment was, for some reason Kuroo was able to keep the bathroom relatively clean. Unfortunately, that meant he wouldn’t be able to stay in there long.

With a long exhale accepting his doom, Daichi set the bag down and grabbed the toilet bowl cleaner to start with. There was always comfort in cleaning, seeing the progress of a space shining brighter and wiping away dirt and grime. It was healing in a way, and Daichi hoped the habitual process would help him through the rest of the day.

He was only in the bathroom for a minute, already gripping the toilet brush to swirl it around when the door slammed open and Kuroo burst through it.

“ _He’s not my boyfriend!”_ He shouted and ducked with a yelp when Daichi spun around, swirling toilet water in the air.

“Huh?!”

“Kenma! He’s not my boyfriend, that little shit is just my friend, I swear.”

Daichi blinked down at him, still kneeling on the floor with his eyes wide with fear. Slowly he lowered the toilet brush from where he was gripping it in the air and cleared his throat.

“You’re just friends?”

Kuroo exhaled and nodded his head. His limbs trembled a bit as if he was about to collapse. “We’re childhood friends, I’ve known him for years. He was just testing you a little because… well, he was just making sure.”

“Sure of what?”

“That you weren’t some jerk that’s after my money or a creepy stalker that manipulated their way into my apartment.”

“What?! Why would I do that? Either of those things!”

Kuroo raised his eyebrows as he cocked his head up at Daichi. “Because it’s happened before.”

Daichi’s shoulders slumped, his jaw dropping slightly in disbelief. “It has? What happened?”

“I’ll tell you, but you probably should that thing down,” Kuroo snickered, still eyeing it warily where it was gripped in his hands. Daichi flinched and put it back in its place next to the toilet and washed his hands. After drying them off, he helped Kuroo to his feet and blushed when he spotted their reflection in the mirror. He hated to admit how attractive it was how Kuroo stood a head over him and how Daichi could easily rest his face in the crook of his neck if they were to hug. They chuckled nervously as they glanced around the small space and Daichi scratched the back of his head.

“Uh, maybe we should talk somewhere else.”

“Right,” Kuroo agreed and led him out of the bathroom. He moved toward the doorway and froze when he spied Kozume resuming his game on the couch. Shooting a quick glare at his traitorous best friend, earning him a smirk from the little demon, he shut the door instead and motioned toward the edge of the bed instead. “Sorry, I think this is our best option.”

“It’s fine,” Daichi said, waving him off as he walked toward it, hoping his face wasn’t tomato red. He had changed the sheets for Kuroo’s king sized bed plenty of times, but it was his first time actually resting on it. And even though Kuroo had already assured him Kozume was only a friend, seeing the bed had only been slept in by one person relieved some of the lingering worries he was holding onto. The soft mattress dipped under his weight, and he couldn’t hold his mind back from wishing he could try out the rest of it. Luckily, Kuroo looked just as flustered as he was when he sat rigidly on top of his own bed and sighed.

“So, I don’t really know where to start. I guess the simplest way to tell you is that I’ve had terrible luck with dating. When most people hear I’m a mangaka, they either laugh or scrunch up their nose at me and tell me to grow up. If they find out prior, however, that I’m a popular mangaka that is pulling in quite a bit of money, they come at me with a completely different attitude. Unfortunately, most of the time I’d find out too late that their interest wasn’t really in me but in my money and fame.”

“Really?” Daichi asked as he glanced Kuroo over in his grungy sweats as he leaned back on his bed. Despite the attire, he looked hotter than an underwear ad on a billboard. “I mean, I know how people are about money and fame, but they weren’t interested in you at all? You’re fun to be around and even when you’re all tired and messy you look… well, you know.”

He regretted it as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Kuroo’s eyes brightened as a sly grin spread up his lips. “No, actually I don’t know, Sa’amura. Would you enlighten me?” He teased as he leaned toward Daichi.

“We-We should really be getting out there. I need to keep cleaning and I’m sure you have to get back to work.”

“Nah, I’m actually doing good on my schedule. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had Kenma over for an all-night video game tournament last night. Wouldn’t you rather stay here and make out on my bed?”

Daichi had never been so tempted in his life, especially finding out what Kuroo and Kozume had actually been up to the night before. He opened his mouth to protest, but the words never came as Kuroo slid closer, slipping his hand over Daichi’s where it rested on the bed. He sucked in a quick breath at the touch but didn’t pull away and slowly Kuroo’s mischievous grin softened into a more honest smile. His grey eyes smoldered beneath his long, dark lashes, scouring over Daichi’s face as his other hand came up to stroke down his cheek.

“Can I kiss you?” He whispered and Daichi, unable to say anything, nodded his head up and down. Kuroo huffed out a laugh as he leaned forward, brushing their lips together gently with his hand nestling into the hair on the back of Daichi’s head.

Daichi sighed into the kiss and closed his eyes, enjoying the ticklish warmth of Kuroo’s soft breath. It wasn’t like he pictured his fantasies of them giving in to their sexual tension, which usually involved messy kisses while trying to rip each other’s clothes off. The tender experimental kisses were hardly a disappointment to him, though, and he eagerly reached forward to grip his fingers in Kuroo’s shirt and tug him forward.

Kuroo hummed happily in the deepened kiss and wrapped his arm around Daichi’s waist. His lips opened wider and Daichi mirrored the action, allowing their tongues to join in on the festivities. Their bodies gradually shifted closer, their knees bumping together as they worked out a good position.

Daichi’s heart raced, wondering how far they were going to go. His mind was still reeling from the earlier confusion with Kozume that he was still trying to catch up that Kuroo genuinely liked him. He felt the urgency to figure it out as Kuroo’s hand rubbed down his back and below the waistline of his pants. With most things, Daichi had a strong willpower and could resist most temptation. At that moment, however, he was completely weak to Kuroo’s pace and had no desire to slow it down.

A soft cough from the door startled them enough to break apart with a surprised yelp.

“Kenma, what the hell?”

“I ate the rest of your breakfast, so he’s gonna have to make you some more.”

“What? You hardly ever eat breakfast!”

Kozume shrugged and leaned against the doorframe as if he hadn’t just walked in on them kissing passionately on Kuroo’s bed. “Well, you left, and it smelled good. I regret nothing.”

“You _will_ regret it, that and interrupting our private time.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of Kozume’s lips as he snorted. “You’ll have plenty of time for that later, don’t forget I’m still here and the last thing I want to hear is you two banging.”

“Whatever, I know even you would get all hot listening to our sexy noises.”

“Gross, I’m not Tora,” Kozume grumbled and slipped away from the doorway before Kuroo could hassle him further. Kuroo bit his lip and turned back to Daichi.

“Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine, but I really should get back to work. Technically I’m on the clock and these kinds of services aren’t included with the caregiver package,” Daichi teased, giving Kuroo a wink before straightening up from the bed.

“You know, that’s actually a relief. When are you _technically_ off the clock?”

Daichi grinned as he backed toward the door, watching Kuroo slip off the bed with the grace of a cat and the gaze of a starving predator going for the kill.

“When I’m done cleaning and send in my times to the office. After that, I’m all free.”

“Oh? Maybe we should continue this then, what do you say?” Kuroo purred, slipping his hand on Daichi’s waist and pulling him closer. Their lips were just about to touch when Daichi slid his fingertips in between, pushing Kuroo back an inch to smirk in his face.

“Sure, but only if you brush your teeth this time.”

Kuroo’s jaw hung open in dismay as Daichi slipped out of the room chuckling. Even Kozume snickered from the other room and Kuroo marched out to kick his ass in the next game as an act of revenge. Daichi returned to the kitchen and fished out some clean pans to start a new breakfast, set on making enough for him and Kuroo this time.

The atmosphere in the apartment was livelier after that, and while Daichi worked he enjoyed listening to the pair of friends trash talking each other on the sofa while they continued their tournament with their eyes glued to the screen. It was nice seeing Kuroo enjoy himself for once, knowing how hard he worked most days. As Daichi gathered up Kuroo’s laundry, he bit his lip thinking of ways he could help him relax even more.

His eyes glanced back to the unmade bed and coughed when his mind once again went spiraling in a dangerous direction. _When did I become such a pervert?_ He mentally grumbled and straightened up with the laundry basket in his hand. Kuroo’s eyes flickered to him when he slipped out of the room and they shared a bashful smile before Daichi hurried around the sofa to the other bathroom where the washer and dryer were kept. He was nearly to the door when he glanced down in the basket and froze, staring at a bright red hoodie.

“Sawamura? You okay?” Kuroo called, pausing the game

“Uh, yeah, it’s just… do you two have the same hoodie?” He asked as he turned around, tipping the basket so they could see.

“Yup, we went to the same high school.”

“Basically, all Kuro’s friends went to Nekoma. We all have that hoodie,” Kozume explained further. Daichi resisted narrowing his eyes at the blonde as he smirked back at him. He was too observant for his own good.

“Why is yours so big, then?”

Kuroo snorted before Kozume could answer. “You sound just like Auntie. She was so pissed that Kenma had ordered such a big size. _It’s swallowing you up!_ ” Kuroo imitated in a higher pitched voice and Kozume rolled his eyes.

“I just like it roomy. Unlike Tora, who likes to order a size too small, so it makes him look more muscular. Instead, he just looks like a sausage stuffed into a package that’s too tight for it.”

“Hm, you seem really close to Yamamoto, Kozume,” Daichi said nonchalantly as a malicious grin spread on his lips. He had already picked up on how often Kozume mentioned their mutual friend, even if it was with exasperation. His smile deepened when Kozume’s back stiffened and his eyes looked murderous as they locked on him. Kuroo, on the other hand, had perked up and leaned forward with interest.

“Ah ha! I’m not the only one who noticed. And he only just met you.”

“Shut up.”

“Seriously, your mind always comes back to _Tora, Tora, Tora_ — “

“So?! Is it wrong for me to think about my friends? Is it so strange for me to mention a person who _happens_ to be a friend of ours?!” Kozume growled as he pulled his hood up and restarted the game. Kuroo scrambled to pick up his controller before Kozume killed his character, but he managed to sneak a quick wink at Daichi.

Daichi chuckled softly continued to the laundry, shifting the basket in his hold and smiling down at the dirty hoodie that belonged to Kuroo. As he slipped into the bathroom, he heard soft voices back in the room, just loud enough that he could catch what was said.

“He’s cool.”

“I know.”

“Of course, you know. You’re the one who likes him.”

“Why must you always sass me?”

“Because. Anyway, I think he’ll be good for you.”

“Yeah… me too.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not sure if I'll get ch 3 posted tonight but it'll definitely be tomorrow!


	3. A New Character

Kuroo and Daichi decided to ease into dating gradually, knowing how hectic everything was with Kuroo’s work and the fact that Daichi was his current caregiver. That didn’t mean their behavior wasn’t completely vomit-inducing whenever they happened to pass each other in the apartment. Every little stolen kiss and warm gaze from across the room was jeered and booed by Kuroo’s _friends_ who berated him for wasting time but were secretly relieved the two were progressing well.

Kai mentioned to Yaku one day how the dark circles under Kuroo’s eyes had almost disappeared and his overall demeanor was more pleasant. Yaku noted back with smug satisfaction that his body seemed more filled out and his skin wasn’t so pale. Yamamoto groaned in dismay that he’ll never have a lover, but usually his foul mood lifted whenever Kenma slipped in to play games on Kuroo’s system, giving Yamamoto the chance to neglect his work and bother him instead. Fukunaga blinked at the pair bickering on the sofa and glanced over his shoulder to spy on the pair flirting in the kitchen. When he turned around and returned to his screen tone cutting, he wore a soft smile that wasn’t often seen.

About a week after they figured out their mutual feelings, Daichi sensed a strange vibe in the apartment when he entered in that day. It was eerily quiet as he listened from the genkan, not quite able to see anything past the sofa. He knew the assistants were there that day, which should have filled the space with laughter and energy and maybe even a few fist fights. There were still pencils scribbling and screen tone cutting, but instead of insults and bickering, there were tense whispers hissed back and forth.

With a tingling apprehension, Daichi set his bag down gently and crept down the hall, peeking cautiously in the rest of the apartment. Yaku, Kai, Yamamoto, and Fukunaga were in their seats like normal, but their faces looked just as intense as the lack of noise. Some movement on the balcony caught his eye and he flinched when he saw Kuroo arguing with a strange man in a suit.

There was only one other time Daichi had seen Kuroo look so angry, and that was when he had mentioned Daishou Suguru. Daichi was certain the other man was him, assuming from the way they were talking over each other and pointing at the manuscript in Kuroo’s hand. His inquisitive nature overcame his apprehension and with a deep breath, he waded into the tension-filled room toward Kuroo’s assistants.

“Hey, guys. You alright?”

To his relief, their stiff posture relaxed slightly as they greeted him and Yaku set his stuff down to stretch.

“Yeah, it’s just always frustrating when he’s here.”

“That’s Daishou-san, right?”

“Yup. Why Nohebi Publishing ever put those two together is beyond me. They’ve been enemies since high school.”

Daichi hummed and glanced out the window. Most of the anger seemed to have dissipated and replaced with frustrated reluctance as Kuroo listened to Daishou explain something with his eyebrows furrowed low.

“Hmm, they seem to respect each other at least?”’

Yamamoto clicked his tongue, but Kai nodded his agreement with Daichi.

“I think you’re right. They’ll never get along, but it would be difficult for an editor to be best friends with his mangaka I think. The two have a strange way of bringing out the best in Kuroo’s work, I think. They go through a lot of stress and fighting to get there though.”

Everyone flinched when Kuroo shoved his way back into the apartment with Daishou growling behind him.

“You have to change him!”

“No! He’s perfect, what do you have against him?!”

“He’s not villain material! The guy’s too nice and likable. Change it!”

“Oh yeah, oh smart god of an editor, how would you do him?”

Daishou hissed between his teeth and ran a hand through his dark hair that fell down the side of his face. “There’s a specific formula when introducing a villain, Dumbass. Didn’t you learn anything when you went to school?”

“To be fair, they mainly taught me how to draw. They don’t really cover character development.”

“What the hell are they teaching kids these days? The villain can't be too likable, or the readers will root for them instead of the hero.”

“Maybe I can make him just empathetic enough that they want to root for the villain, but not _more_ than the hero!”

“Who the heck does that?”

“Geniuses, obviously.”

Daishou growled and smacked his hand against his forehead and ran it down his face. He froze when his eyes fell on Daichi who was trying to make his way back to the kitchen before he was noticed. He had nearly made it around the island when Daishou crossed the room and leaned on the counter, his eyes scouring over every inch of Daichi.

“Do I know you? Is he a new assistant?”

“No, I’m Sawamura Daichi, his caregiver. We spoke on the phone that one time.”

“Oh, of course, sorry. Daishou Suguru.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you in person,” Daichi said and glanced over Daishou’s shoulder when he heard Kuroo huff. He tried to restrain his smile and get back to work, but Daishou seemed to be frowning at him even harder.

“Shit, Kuroo, are you dating him?”

“What?! How did you know?”

Daishou groaned as he leaned against the counter and pointed his hand toward Daichi. “Look at him! He’s your new character, Dumbass! No wonder you wrote him so likable, I can’t believe you.”

A rousing hum of recognition came from the assistants as they flipped through the panels they were working on, holding them up to compare with Daichi.

“Nice! Sawamura, you look good in all this armor!” Yaku said as he squinted back and forth from the drawing to Daichi.

“Am I really your villain?” Daichi asked as he looked at Kuroo whose face had turned a bright scarlet.

“I didn’t mean to make you a villain! I needed one and I wanted to make him strong and intimidating, and while I was musing on it I got a glimpse of your back, and your shoulders… and, uh… yeah, I just started drawing it that way.”

“It’s not his physicality that I mind, that part is good,” Daishou explained as he walked back to Kuroo and stole the pages from his hand. “It’s this playful banter developing between them, can’t you make it more uncomfortable or frustrating for the hero to interact with him?”

“I liked the banter,” Kai interjected, the rest of the assistants nodding while remaining silent.

“See?”

“Banter is fine if it’s his friend or lover, but this is a villain!”

“Why must villains be black and white?”

“Just tweak it a little, for god's sakes! If you let it remain at the pace it’s going, your hero will be sleeping with the villain in just a few episodes.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

“You write a fantasy manga, Kuroo! This isn’t a BL!”

Kuroo folded his arms and stretched up tall to loom over Daishou with his impressive height. “Just because my hero falls in love with a man doesn’t make it a BL. You were just telling me I needed to move forward with romance.”

“Between him and his already established love interest!”

“They’re hardly established; his crush on her is obviously unrequited. I think this could be a refreshing alternative.”

“People are already rooting for them.”

“Not when they sense this hot sexual tension between him and the villain!”

Kuroo had to rescue the pages from Daishou’s grip before he crumpled the paper in his furious grip. Daichi could almost hear the shrill whistle of steam coming out of the editor’s ears when suddenly all the anger faded from his face. His body relaxed so quickly that Kuroo stepped back in fear.

“You know, you’re right.”

“I’m what now?”

“Right! There’s obviously a lot of chemistry between the Sawamura character and the hero of the story. It’s interesting though…”

“...What is?” Kuroo asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes at Daishou with obvious distrust.

“You’ve often stated that the hero isn’t like you, though you admire him. It’s interesting that you’d pair someone almost identical to Sawamura with someone who isn’t you. Perhaps deep down you think you don’t deserve him?”

“You son of a — Ugh, fine! I’ll change it,” Kuroo grumbled as he stomped back to his desk and fell into his seat. “Anyone who has panels with the hero and villain, bring them back. They need to be changed.”

All the assistants groaned while Daishou strutted back to the kitchen island with a smug grin on his face.

“Would you like some coffee, Daishou-san?” Daichi offered, biting his lip to hold back his laughter.

“Yeah, actually I’d love some.”

“Sawamura, don’t give that snake any coffee. He’s not welcome here,” Kuroo said over his shoulder as he glared at Daishou, who flipped him off as he settled on a bar stool. Despite the order from Kuroo, Daichi slid a mug of fresh coffee toward Daishou and set about making some snacks for Kuroo and the others before he proceeded to clean. The tension in the apartment had eased significantly, which Daichi was grateful for. He hated working in such a negative environment, and most of all he didn’t enjoy seeing Kuroo in such a frustrated state. The mangaka seemed to be working at a furious pace which seemed to please Daishou whenever he glanced over and then went back to his phone, his fingers typing furiously across the screen.

As Daichi arranged the food on a platter for everyone to graze on at their leisure, Kuroo straightened up from his chair and marched back to Daishou, shoving a fresh page under his nose with a nod of satisfaction.

“Here, fixed it.”

Daishou swiped the pages from his hand and glanced over them. His eyes widened as they moved back and forth, his jaw dropping open of its own volition.

“What the hell is this?!”

“It’s the fixed manuscript.”

“You changed the hero to be the villain!”

“Serves him right, trying to steal Sawamura from me.”

A roar of laughter filled the apartment as Daishou gaped up at Kuroo, frozen with his inability to compute what Kuroo had done. Before he could reanimate and tear the manuscript to shreds, Kuroo slipped them from his fingers and beamed proudly at Daichi.

“I hate you… I just — why can’t you see reason?”

“Why can’t _you_ see reason?”

“Can I see it?” Daichi asked, leaning on the counter and giving Kuroo a certain smile that he knew made him weak at the knees. As he suspected, Kuroo brightened up and handed the pages over, taking the opportunity to lean on the counter opposite Daichi so he could stretch his arms across it to caress Daichi’s biceps. Attempting to ignore the soft touches that turned his legs to jelly, Daichi flipped through to see the new scenes Kuroo had produced.

Since working for the mangaka, he had tried catching up to the story with bits and pieces he’d seen from everyone working on them. He had a good sense of the hero, a strong character with a gruff personality but still adorably likable in a way. He snorted as he noticed the changes, the hero acting cruelly to his best friends instead of bolstering their courage against the villain. His cheeks grew warm as his eyes fell on the villain, picking out the similarities in his appearance to his own.

“Hmm, maybe there’s a way to compromise,” He finally said, glancing up to see the pout emerge on Kuroo’s lips.

“What do you mean, you don’t like this?”

“It’s not that, but I enjoyed the hero as he was. He’s not _my_ type as far as attraction goes, but it would be interesting to see a vague chemistry between him and the villain.”

“But that still makes the villain too likable,” Daishou sighed, dropping his head on the counter.

“If you’re set on basing this character on me, Kuroo, there are plenty of ways to make people dislike him.”

“Impossible, how could you even say that?”

Daichi snored and pulled out his phone. “I could tell you my faults, but you’d probably just say I’m being hard on myself.”

“Who are you calling?”

“One of my best friends. Well, the one who isn’t afraid to pick out my faults.” He placed the phone up to his ear and waited until he heard a familiar voice on the other end.

“ _Hey, Daichi_!”

“Hey, Suga.”

“ _What’s up, you never call me when you’re at work_.”

“So, I told you about my current client, right?”

“ _The hot mangaka you’re sort of dating and can’t wait to bang, right?_ ”

Daichi sighed and was relieved he hadn’t put Suga on speakerphone yet. “Yeah, that one. Listen, he’s modeling a villain off of me and we all need to know what bad qualities I have that would help the character.”

He pulled the phone away from his ear as Suga’s obnoxious laughter assaulted it. Glancing up to apologize to Daishou and Kuroo, he found both of them smirking back at him and decided they deserved no apology and wished they’d go back to fighting with each other.

“Are you done?” He finally asked in the phone as Suga tried catching his breath.

“ _Yes, I am soooooo excited! I can’t wait to read this when it comes out. Hand me over to Kuroo, I have a lot of fun things I could share with him._ ”

“No way, you’re going on speakerphone. I don’t want you to tell him everything!”

“ _Fine, whatever._ ”

Daichi felt a little uneasy as he placed the phone on the counter, his finger drifting toward the speaker button as if it could trigger nuclear warheads to erupt all over the Earth. Both Kuroo and Daishou leaned on the counter, their faces hungry for the juicy information Daichi was allowing them to hear.

“Ahem, go ahead, Suga. Just… be kind?”

“ _Of course!_ ” Suga assured him, a fiendish giggle tumbling after it that didn’t console Daichi one bit. “ _Nice to meet you, Kuroo-san_!”

“Pleasure’s all mine, Suga-san.”

“It’s Sugawara,” Daichi grumbled, but the correction only sparked more mischief gleaming in Kuroo’s eyes.

“ _So, you want to know Daichi’s bad points? I’ve got a ton! First, he has about the worst temper I’ve ever seen in a human being. Not only is he quick to get angry, but he seems to radiate with a dark cloud of ominous energy that he probably pulled from the abyss of hell._ ”

“Really?! I’ve never seen him angry.”

“ _Just wait, I’m sure you’ve seen how easy he is to provoke._ ”

“Oh yeah, that’s been fantastic.”

“ _Good! Considering how fun that is, your readers would probably enjoy the hero taking a dig at the villain and making him stupidly angry and becoming clumsy and violent as a result_.”

“Shit, I should be taking notes,” Kuroo mumbled as he looked around. Daishou nudged him with his elbow as his fingers flew across his phone screen and nodded at the phone.

“Keep him talking, I’m getting this down and I’ll forward this to you later.”

“Perfect, keep going, Suga-san! This is good stuff.”

“ _Wonderful! Daichi also used to be very oblivious to things, but he’s mainly grown out of it, thankfully. Otherwise, he’d probably still be pining for you._ ”

“Hmm, I’m happy about that too,” Kuroo purred as he beamed up at Daichi, his lips quivering like he was trying hard not to laugh. Daichi relaxed his eyebrows slightly since they were beginning to hurt from how tightly they were furrowed.

“I’m going to go clean. Have fun making fun of me behind my back,” He huffed as he stomped out of the kitchen, trying to ignore Daishou’s observant eyes as he continued taking notes.

“ _Don’t worry about him! I’ll also give you a tip for smoothing things over when he gets grumpy._ ”

“Why would we need that?” Daishou asked and Suga let out another laugh.

“ _Not for the manga, so Kuroo can make up with him! Otherwise, he’s liable to pout and grumble about it for weeks!_ ”

“I can still hear you!” Daichi shouted from the bathroom.

“Hmm, good sense of hearing,” Daishou mumbled with a nod.

“Ah, I’ll appreciate all the help I can get, Suga-san,” Kuroo chuckled nervously, flinching at the forceful way Daichi was changing the trash can. He licked his lips and hovered closer to the phone so Suga could hear him as he whispered, “Because… I’d really like to stay on his good side. I like him a lot.”

“ _Awwww, so cute!!_ ” Suga squealed, and Daishou gave Kuroo a hard look to keep focused. “ _Okay, so dirt first and then Operation: Win Daichi’s Heart Back._ ”

 

Daichi spent the rest of the day avoiding the main room. He was meticulous with dusting every piece of furniture in Kuroo’s bedroom and by the time he exited the bathroom, it was sparkling like a winter wonderland. Knowing he had to at least straighten up the main space, he stood in front of Kuroo’s bedroom door and took a deep breath before opening it to a silent apartment. He stuck his head out and glanced around, finding the entire place empty and surprisingly clean.

“Um, hello?” He called, and his head jerked toward the kitchen when he heard a grunt and a few things clattering. His head cocked curiously and slipped out of the bedroom, flinching when Kuroo’s head popped above the counter.

“Hey! Sorry, I was just looking for something.”

“What is it? I can help you find it,” He said, momentarily forgetting he was supposed to be mad and set down his bag.

“No, no! It’s fine,” Kuroo said and dropped back down out of view. Daichi frowned as he heard glass clinking and a few more things scattering, feeling his earlier irritation creep back in. “Ah! Found it!”

Kuroo stood straight up this time with a bottle of wine in his hands and a triumphant grin. When Daichi gazed back at him with his arms crossed in front of his chest, Kuroo’s smile slipped away.

“Planning on celebrating something?”

“Well, not exactly. I thought maybe you’d stick around and have some with me.”

The icy exterior that had temporarily made Daichi impervious to Kuroo’s charms suddenly melted into a puddle at his feet. He scratched his forehead to hide his heated face and tried to think up some excuse.

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve got some things to take care of at home.”

“Some things, huh? Well, that’s a shame, considering…”

Daichi frowned and dropped his hand, eyeing the grin stretching back up Kuroo’s face.

“Considering what?”

Before Kuroo could answer, there was a soft knock at the door. Not surprised at all by the interruption, Kuroo set the bottle down on the counter and slipped past Daichi to answer it. Curious who would be showing up at that hour, Daichi hovered in the entrance to the kitchen where he could barely see past Kuroo’s arm as he opened the door.

“Perfect, right on time! Just go ahead and set it all up in the kitchen, I’ll take care of the rest.” Kuroo greeted and stepped aside as several people entered, bowing to both Kuroo and Daichi as they passed them. They were wearing a uniform typical of a restaurant and had already changed into house slippers before they had even entered the apartment. Daichi blinked in amazement as they swept into the kitchen and removed several different platters, set them up on the counter in a professional display and slipped back out without uttering a word. The one who seemed to be in charge waited behind while the rest filed into the hallway as Kuroo handed him a thick envelope.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Kuroo said, giving a slight bow of his own but the man waved his hand.

“No, no! It’s our pleasure, Sensei. I hope you both enjoy the meal.”

“I’m sure we will!”

There were several more thank you’s exchanged before Kuroo could usher the man out the door with his workers and closed the door behind them.

“Kuroo?” Daichi said, eyeing the steaming food laid out on the counter that looked like a vision of heaven to him.

“Yeah?”

“How much did this cost?! Even from here I can tell that’s extremely high quality.” He tore his eyes away from the food to watch Kuroo join him with a sheepish smile on his face.

“Well, I knew you were a little angry earlier, so I wanted to make it up to you.”

“Let me guess, Suga told you to do this. What was he thinking, I would have been happy with meat buns.”

Kuroo laughed and sauntered into the kitchen, nodding with satisfaction as he glanced over the dishes. “Suga-chan told me to feed you, that’s it. I chose to pick something elegant for our first real date because, despite how I look right now, I’d like to make a good first impression. So,” He said, picking up a piece of thinly sliced steak with his fingers and turned to Daichi, “Tell me how this tastes.”

Daichi’s mouth was watering before it even touched his lips. Kuroo slipped the meat into his mouth tenderly, and Daichi got a quick glimpse of his heated gaze before closing his eyes in bliss. With the large family he grew up with, regular meat was in itself a delicacy. Daichi couldn’t believe the difference in quality from what he’s always had and the juicy steak simmering in his mouth.

“Good?” Kuroo chuckled as Daichi released a moan of pleasure.

“Yeah, that… that’s the best thing I’ve ever had in my mouth.”

“Hmm, challenge accepted.”

“What?”

“What? Oh! Shoot, you’ve got things to do, right? Sure you can’t put them off, so you can have dinner with me?” Kuroo purred, wrapping an arm around Daichi’s waist. With most of the steak properly chewed and swallowed, Daichi opened his eyes to see Kuroo sucking the leftover juice from his fingertips.

“Um, you know, I think that stuff can be put off for another night. Since you went through all the trouble, you know.”

“Excellent! Here, have some wine and you can have a seat. I’ll bring a plate over to you.”

Daichi took a quick sip from the glass as he made his way around the counter, anxious to have something to blame his red cheeks on besides being completely flustered by Kuroo’s gesture. He stepped toward the bar stools where they typically ate and paused when he noticed one of the desks had been set apart from the others with two chairs on either side.

“Is that where we’re eating?”

“Yeah! I had the guys move it before they left.”

“I’m surprised they left so early.”

“Well, we ended up getting ahead so I let them all go earlier than usual. That and they knew I wanted to spend some time with you.”

Daichi wished he had something to blame his racing heart on, but there was nothing but Kuroo’s shy admission and the way his eyes glanced up at him over the platter of mouth-watering food. He ran his hand through his hair and looked away, desperate to find something to talk about before he did or said something stupid.

“This must have cost you a fortune, all this food.”

“It’s more than I usually spend, but it’s worth it.”

“I kind of wish I was dressed better, I’m still in my work clothes.”

“You can take them off if you’d feel more comfortable,” Kuroo teased as he took a break from cutting to take a sip of wine.

“Hmm, maybe after I’ve had a bit more to drink.”

Kuroo choked and set the wine glass down, hiding his red face in his arm as he coughed into it. Daichi puffed out his chest and beamed as he watched Kuroo get a hold of himself.

“Yeah, didn’t expect you to say that,” Kuroo wheezed with a final cough. “Anyway, your work clothes are still ten times better than mine. Maybe we should both lose them, huh?”

Daichi narrowed his eyes at the challenge in Kuroo’s eyes. He watched him balance the plates on his arm and grab his glass with his other hand like a pro, all the while smirking at Daichi as if he’d already won. For the sake of the dinner, Daichi waited until he had set the plates in front of him before retorting.

“Well, we could sit here and eat in nothing but our skin, but somehow I feel like we wouldn’t get much eating done.”

“Come on, Sawamura, what’s better, good food or good sex?”

“Food, no contest.”

“What?!”

“Think about it, can you imagine living your life never having any good food, maybe just some bread if you’re lucky? Some people go their whole lives without having good sex and still live quite happily.”

“Hmm, see it’s because you haven’t really had great sex yet.”

“Oh? Does that mean you’re up to the challenge to convince me, Kuroo-sensei?” Daichi asked in his deepest voice, snatching Kuroo’s full attention as he licked his lips and slipped some food between his lips. He closed his eyes and moaned, making it a little more dramatic than he typically would. When he opened his eyes, he smirked at the way Kuroo was hiding his face behind his hand just enough to block the redness of his cheeks but could still watch Daichi enjoy his food.

“Damn, Sawamura. You’re pretty cruel, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told,” Daichi laughed.

“But to answer your question, yeah, I’m definitely up for that challenge. When I finally get my hands on you, you’ll be making louder noises than that.”

“I look forward to it.” Daichi himself had no idea where his boldness was coming from. Since graduating high school, he was confident with himself but hardly engaged in such a conversation, even when he was dating someone. Something about Kuroo lured it out of him. Perhaps it was the challenge always present in Kuroo’s grin. Or maybe Daichi had never wanted to be with someone so badly as he did with Kuroo.

For the sake of the expensive meal, they were able to subdue the sexual discussion before they ran off and left the delicious food for a wild romp in the bedroom. Their conversation was comfortable yet playful, and Daichi had to admit it was the most fun he had in a very long time. Even after they had finished their meal and put the food away in the fridge, Kuroo suggested they have a little more wine on the sofa before Daichi left for the evening, so they could continue talking.

Not long after resting on the sofa, wine glasses were set to the side and all talking ceased as their lips became preoccupied with another endeavor. Daichi could still taste the flavor of the wine on Kuroo’s tongue, allowing him to enjoy it without sipping out of a glass. He shivered as Kuroo’s long fingers slid over his back. The touch was surprisingly gentle while it was meticulous as if Kuroo was mapping out every muscle he could find.

Daichi, on the other hand, raked his fingers into Kuroo’s hair, never able to resist the crazy black locks. He loved how long he kept his hair, perfect for winding his fingers through. He loved how each strand was as soft as silk and felt like feathers tickling the skin of his palm. Most of all he loved the pleased hum that vibrated through Kuroo’s chest whenever he gave his hair a little tug.

Making out with Kuroo was quickly rising to the top of Daichi’s list of favorite things to do. Heat churned through his body and settled in his lower stomach. His heart raced with every stroke of Kuroo’s fingers across his skin and he couldn’t wait to feel his touch in places that remained neglected. But Kuroo seemed to be avoiding those areas on purpose and Daichi wondered if perhaps he was uncomfortable with Daichi spending the night, even if it meant avoiding sex.

Curious if that was the reason, Daichi decided to test the waters. A part of him wanted to climb up on Kuroo’s lap and peel off his shirt, but he felt that would be too aggressive for a moment like that. _Next time_ … Instead, he pulled back a little from Kuroo’s lips, making sure he had Kuroo’s full attention as he started to lean back with his fingers gripping the front of Kuroo’s T-Shirt.

“Come here,” He whispered, laying all the way down on the cushion as his leg slid up Kuroo’s. He softly released the breath was holding as Kuroo grinned like a cat and crawled on top of him, his lips heading straight for Daichi’s neck. Kuroo’s hair tickled Daichi’s face and he chuckled as he rubbed his hands all over Kuroo’s impressively broad back. After a little shifting around, they seemed to fit together perfectly, especially as Kuroo rolled his body up to rub right between Daichi’s legs.

It felt amazing to Daichi, but Kuroo’s back stiffened from the sensation. He pulled away from Daichi suddenly with his palm covering his eyes, his other arm trembling to hold up his weight.

“Kuroo, are you okay?” Daichi murmured, lifting a hand to gently cup Kuroo’s face.

“Um, yeah, I’m sorry. Whew, I just got really dizzy all of a sudden.”

“Dizzy?”

Kuroo licked his lips and slipped his hand away from his eyes to plant into the cushion on Daichi’s other side. He fluttered his eyes, his eyebrows creased together as he tried to focus his vision. At that proximity, Daichi could see the dark circles under Kuroo’s eyes and he finally understood.

“Kuroo, you’re exhausted. You really should go to sleep.”

“No, I’m fine! Shit, I shouldn’t have drunk so much wine.”

Daichi chuckled and gently pushed Kuroo up straight as he did the same. “Probably not when you’re so sleep deprived. You’ll feel better if you go to bed.”

Kuroo winced from the suggestion and gazed back at Daichi with the same look he saw on a puppy’s face from a pet shop window. It just about broke his heart.

“I don’t want you to leave. I like having you here.”

“I can stay if you want me to.”

“Really?!” Kuroo gasped, his entire body perked up and Daichi swore he could see a tail wagging behind him. He laughed and cupped Kuroo’s face to pull him down for another kiss.

“Yes, of course, I will. But as much as I want us to go further, I think for tonight we should go straight to sleep.”

“Can’t we fool around a little bit?”

“I’ll make a deal with you. We go straight to sleep tonight, and then we’ll fool around in the morning.”

“I’ll take it!” Kuroo cheered as he planted another kiss on Daichi’s lips and hopped off the couch. The motion was so quick, however, he stumbled back to the floor with another wave of nausea. Daichi rushed forward to help him up, wrapping Kuroo’s arm around his shoulder and slipped his hand securely around his narrow waist. The few steps it took to enter Kuroo’s bedroom was enough for Kuroo’s head to clear and handle walking himself.

It was comfortable and exciting at the same time, preparing for bed with Kuroo and wearing his spare sleep clothes. He was a little disgruntled that the pants were a little too tight, so he decided to forego them entirely for the sake of his own comfort, much to Kuroo’s delight. Those nimble fingers of his kept finding their way to Daichi’s thighs and stroking down every curve on his boxers, earning himself a slap or two.

“Don’t rile me up, not until morning.”

“So, if I get horny at two am?”

“Not before six.”

“Oh, well six is out for me, I’m usually comatose around then. Maybe seven?”

“Seven,” Daichi agreed, chuckling into the soft kiss they shared before settling down into bed. It was usually difficult for him to get comfortable in a strange bed, but Kuroo’s plush mattress conformed to his body instantly as if he was sinking into a plush cloud. He hummed with pleasure as he stretched out his limbs, still not touching either Kuroo or the side of the bed. Just as he was thinking he could get used to it, a set of sly fingers slid across the mattress and tried sneaking into his boxer briefs.

“Kuroo,” He warned, receiving a sinister chuckle in response. Soon two arms snuck around his waist and tugged him closer to the middle of the bed where Kuroo was waiting.

“What were you doing all the way over there?”

“Just enjoying all this space for once. I’ve never slept in a bed this big.”

“You didn’t want to snuggle?” Kuroo asked with an exaggerated pout.

“Fine, just no funny business.”

“Yesssss,” Kuroo hissed and beamed as he shuffled his body closer to Daichi and nestled his head against his chest. They both let out a deep sigh, settling into their embrace and enjoying the quiet of the dark room. It wasn’t long before Kuroo’s breaths became shallow and spread out, his limbs no longer fidgeting to get comfortable.

Daichi smiled and ran his fingers through Kuroo’s hair. Despite how comfortable and warm he felt, he was worried that his thoughts would inevitably spiral to what would happen in the morning and would keep him from sleep himself. The nervousness and excitement did keep him awake longer than if he was in his bed at home, but soon his eyes drifted shut as Kuroo’s soft breaths lulled him to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a note I forgot to make in the last chapter, I actually didn't plan to get them together so quickly, it just sort of happened, ha ha ha. Originally I was going to have them flirt the whole time until the last bit, but that scene on the bed just got ahead of itself and I was like "What the hell, I can't hold these two back from each other XD   
> Also, I apologize if any of this seems shoddy, I didn't have time for anyone to look it over before posting. Cross your fingers I can finish the last chapter tomorrow!


	4. Chapter 4

Waking up in Kuroo’s bed the next morning was a source of new discoveries for Daichi. The first, was how incredibly natural it felt, their limbs all tangled and the bed toasty warm from their combined body heat. He had always imagined what it would be like, wondering if it would be awkward with a hint of regret. But there was none of that as they sat up and stretched, laughing with bashful smiles at their circumstances.

Kuroo’s smile was a little different when he was sleepy; it was lazy and a little bit shy, which Daichi found impossible to resist. The previous night he had worried how they’d breach the topic of his promise to fool around. He discovered that there was no reason to worry and they wouldn’t need to discuss anything at all. Approaching Kuroo with soft kisses that soon turned into deeper kisses led them straight down that path without any other assistance. Like everything else, it was natural, and he stopped worrying and allowed himself to be taken away by the flow.

It was subtle at first to the assistants when they stopped by that afternoon, but soon they all noticed the tender touches between them and lingering eye contact as they held silent conversations that no one else could follow. Kai and Yaku were extremely pleased with the development, but when Yamamoto had figured out the shift in their relationship, Yaku had to drag him out on the balcony before he excitedly congratulated Kuroo on finally banging Sawamura.

Luckily, the heavy workload required during the next week kept them so busy that the excitement over Kuroo and Daichi’s development faded into the background. Daichi did his best to support the crew, giving them fresh coffee and snacks to keep their spirits and energy up. Occasionally, he would slip behind Kuroo and press his hand into his back to alert the frazzled mangaka to his presence. As Kuroo paused from his work, Daichi bent down to brush his lips across his cheek and whispered an encouragement in his ear. Kuroo tilted his head up to get a better kiss, but his lips were met with a slice of apple instead of Daichi’s.

“Later,” Daichi chuckled, giving his shoulder a squeeze and left him to his work. Despite the promise, Daichi went home every night that week to let Kuroo concentrate and sleep. It was difficult when all they wanted to do was spend time with each other, but both were aware that after that week, Kuroo’s schedule would be letting up. Daichi silently made plans for the weekend to cook something for Kuroo or perhaps drag him out of the house to a movie, something to help him relax after such a stressful week. That was, until he received a call from Suga, reminding him that he and Asahi were visiting him that weekend.

“I’m sorry I forgot about their visit,” Daichi explained to Kuroo that Thursday as he gathered his supplies in his bag.

“Don’t worry about it! I have the book signing tomorrow afternoon, and that lasts several hours. Then Daishou’s arranged us to have a drink with their sales team and the bookstore owners as a bit of a celebration. Honestly, I’d rather skip that and join you guys. I was especially hoping to meet my partner-in-crime in person.”

Daichi laughed and rolled his eyes, snaking his hands around his waist. “Don’t worry, they’ll be here for a few days, so you’ll get the chance to meet Suga, though I’d rather you didn’t. I have a feeling I’ll never have any rest with you two conspiring against me.”

“Conspiring! I would never. I’m only on your side, Sa’amura,” Kuroo purred, dipping his face down to press kisses against his nose and across his cheeks.

“Bullshit. Anyway, I gotta go. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Kuroo sighed, his shoulders drooping with disappointment. “One of these days I’m just going to lock you in here, so you can’t leave.”

Daichi kissed him tenderly and pulled back, tapping his fingers under Kuroo’s chin to lift it. “We’ll have our chance soon. Good night.”

Kuroo smiled back at him and nodded. “Soon. Good night, Love.”

Resigned to the fact that both him and Kuroo were busy that weekend, Daichi grew excited for the chance to spend time with his best friends. He knew he didn’t have to spend long at Kuroo’s apartment on Friday since the assistants weren’t there and Kuroo was spending the day preparing for the book signing. He still showed up at his usual time, however, allowing enough time to make some food for Kuroo before his busy day.

“Kuroo? I’m here!” He shouted from the genkan, shuffling out of his shoes and wandering into the apartment.

“Great! I really need your opinion on something!” He called from the bedroom, his voice so muffled Daichi assumed he was probably all the way in his private bathroom.

“Sure! What about?”

Daichi didn’t hear a response, but he figured Kuroo would emerge in a moment and set to work brewing some coffee. He hummed a tune while he fried up some eggs and barely heard Kuroo’s bedroom door open behind him.

“I’m not sure which tie to wear with this suit, it’s been so long since I’ve worn one.”

“Hmm, let me s-seeee….” Daichi drifted off as he turned toward Kuroo, his eyes widening and his jaw going slack with shock. The spatula slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor, but Daichi didn’t react as he gaped at the stunningly gorgeous man in front of him.

Kuroo’s hair seemed to glisten under the apartment lights from a fresh wash, his locks more springy than usual but still in his signature hairstyle. His lean body was draped in a grey suit that was cut perfectly to his shape, highlighting the breadth of his chest, his slender waist, and his long legs that made Daichi’s mouth water. The top two buttons were still undone as he held up two ties, one a shade of plum and the other with a grey and black design.

The longer Daichi stared, the wider Kuroo’s grin spread. He snickered as he laid the ties on the counter and strutted toward him until his hands nestled against Daichi’s waist.

“What’s wrong, Sa’amura? Cat got your tongue?”

Daichi fluttered his eyes and mumbled something, but his brain wasn’t quite working and at that moment he had no idea what his own name was.

“Not sure that was Japanese.”

“ _Good_! You look good.”

“Just good?” Kuroo asked, raising his eyebrows. Daichi pressed his palms against his cheeks, wondering if they were on fire.

“Amazing, really. I… wow.”

As if he hadn’t already wiped Daichi’s ability to speak his native language, the radiance of Kuroo’s smile made Daichi’s chest hurt and he was certain his heart was going to burst through his chest. All too soon, however, Kuroo’s smile faded away as his lovely grey eyes flickered over Daichi’s shoulder.

“Oh, I think your eggs are burning.”

“Uh-huh…”

Kuroo laughed and turned Daichi around until he could see the smoke curling from his pan, snapping him out of his stupor.

“Shit.”

“I’ll, uh, stop distracting you now,” Kuroo chuckled into his ear and slipped away, his hand lingering a little longer on Daichi’s butt than was necessary.

Daichi took a deep breath to clear his head as he tried to salvage breakfast. With Kuroo out of the room, he could finally thread two thoughts together, but his heart was still racing from the vision. It had a strange effect on him, something akin to awe as if an angel had suddenly appeared before him in all its ethereal glory. He tried hard to remember what Kuroo used to look like, disheveled and wearing nothing but sweats and an old T-Shirt, but it was difficult wiping the memory of him in that drool-worthy suit. He managed to make the rest of breakfast without burning anymore and slip it onto a plate before Kuroo emerged again from his bedroom.

“Is it safe to come out?” He asked from the crack in his doorway, his eyes glittering with mischief.

“Yes, it’s fine. I can handle it,” Daichi huffed back, knowing full well that he couldn’t. Kuroo slinked out of the bedroom holding a pair of gleaming black shoes in his hand and winked at Daichi as he set them in the genkan for him to slip into when he left.

“Did you think about the tie?”

“Yeah, it depends what you’re going for, I think. The black and grey looks professional, but the purple adds a dash of playfulness I think without losing the elegance.”

“Hmm, plum it is! I should hire you as my personal stylist.”’

“I’m already your caregiver.”

“Stylist makes more money.”

“Would I make more money as _your_ stylist though since you rarely leave the apartment?”

“Hmm, touché. Breakfast ready?”

“Yeah, be careful while you eat it. I wish I had come sooner so you could have eaten before you dressed.”

“Sawamura, I’m beginning to think you’re more attracted to this suit than you are me,” Kuroo laughed as he settled on the stool and breathed in the steam from the food.

“I’m not. I mean it’s a nice suit and it looks more expensive than my entire education, but I wouldn’t look twice at it if it wasn’t on you.”

Daichi was busy with the dishes while they were talking, but when Kuroo failed to respond, he shut the water off and turned around. Kuroo had set his chopsticks down and was covering half his face with his palm. When his eyes flickered to Daichi, his hand dropped slightly to reveal his bright red cheeks.

“You know, usually I’m totally cool with receiving compliments, but you’re really unraveling me today.”

As if Kuroo wasn’t already mind-numbingly gorgeous, he had to act cute and flustered as well. It wafted away the haze in Daichi’s mind and sparked a desire to tease the other man. He couldn’t resist, especially since Kuroo was the main provocateur in the relationship.

While Kuroo attempted to bury his face in his food to shake off his bashful state, Daichi wandered around the island slipped his hands over Kuroo’s shoulders, giving them a little squeeze.

“Mm, feels good,” Kuroo mumbled, emitting a pleased hum as Daichi continued to give his shoulders a massage.

“Yeah? Pity we don’t have time for me to rub _all_ of your tension out,” He whispered in Kuroo’s ear, running his fingers down the length of his back. Kuroo sucked in a quick breath, gulping down whatever food he was chewing before he choked. Encouraged by his reaction, Daichi pressed his chest into Kuroo’s back and slid his hands across Kuroo’s chest. “It’s also a pity this suit is so expensive. If I had my way, I’d tear it right off your body.”

“Mercy, Sawamura, please. You realize these pants are tailored, right? Which means if I show up to this event with a boner, everybody’s going to notice.”

Daichi chuckled from deep in his chest and planted one more kiss against Kuroo’s cheek before pulling away. “You’re the one seducing me, you should accept the consequences of your actions.”

“Hmm, I’d gladly accept those consequences tonight after I’m all done with everything. Did you want to come back over?”

“Can’t, Suga and Asahi, remember?”

“Oh, that’s right,” Kuroo sighed as he dropped his chin on his palm. “I mean, they’d be fine sleeping in your apartment without you there, right?”

“That’s hardly the actions of a good host.”

“You are going to make me the perfect trophy wife one day.”

“Who says I’m going to be yours? One of these days I’m going to make it to the big time, then you can by my trophy wife.”

Kuroo snorted into his coffee mug and leaned over the counter, cautious not to spray anything on his suit. “Oh? I didn’t realize caregivers could climb the social ladder to celebrity status.”

“You have no idea what a lucrative world it is. You better hurry up, it’s getting late.”

Kuroo glanced at his watch and hissed. He shoveled the rest of his breakfast into his mouth and guzzled down the rest of his coffee before slipping off the bar stool to run around the apartment. Daichi watched him swipe the purple tie off the counter to wrap it around his neck and disappear into his bedroom, probably for one last look in the mirror. He emerged after a couple of minutes and spun in a circle to give Daichi a full view.

“Look good?”

“You look perfect,” Daichi replied, blatantly eyeballing every sharp line of Kuroo’s body.

“Stop it, you wolf! I better get out of here before we really do start fooling around.”

Kuroo bounded forward and pounced on Daichi, going right in for a deep kiss before pulling away with a smack. That combined with the beautiful vision of Kuroo’s face, left Daichi a little dizzy as Kuroo beamed down at him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Call me?”

“I will. We’ll probably go sightseeing.”

“He he, sounds cute.” Kuroo opened his mouth to say something else, the sound already starting on his tongue before he stopped himself. Daichi felt like he knew what he was going to say, hearing the preemptive ghost of the words _I love you_ hanging in the air between them. The way they’d slipped into domesticity with each other was as natural as stepping into a pair of pants. He had almost blurted out a _love you_ several times already and he was relieved that Kuroo seemed to be having the same issue as his cheeks flushed red.

Daichi chuckled and cupped Kuroo’s cheek, pulling him down as he lifted himself on his toes to brush their lips together.

“Have a good time, don’t fight with Daishou.”

Kuroo flinched at his name and Daichi laughed, shoving him away and shooing him toward the door. After slipping into his shiny black shoes and picked up a leather work bag, Kuroo blew him a kiss and bolted out the door.

Daichi sighed in the overwhelming silence of the apartment, wishing he could have stared at the clean and well-dressed Kuroo a little longer. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and grimaced at the time. He needed to meet Suga and Asahi at the train station in a little over an hour, which didn’t leave him much time to straighten up the apartment.

As he had predicted the night before, it wasn’t too messy since Kuroo had finished his work early and the assistants hadn’t been there. Kuroo’s bathroom was the only part of the apartment in blatant disarray, and that gave Daichi one of the best laughs he’d ever had as he gazed at the line of hair products that obviously had no effect on Kuroo’s natural bedhead.

In record time, he had swept through the entire apartment and locked it behind him, right on target for picking his friends up from the station. All disappointment from not having more time to stare at Kuroo faded when he finally spotted his best friends in the crowd, their faces shining with excitement. Suga rushed through the sea of people, weaving back and forth to make his way to him while all Asahi had to do was walk straight for him since people were giving him a wide berth. Daichi spread his legs and braced himself for impact, grunting as a wall of Suga pummeled into him.

“Daichiiiii!” He shouted, his voice echoing across the station and turning a few heads.

“Suga,” Daichi wheezed back, his eyes wide as he searched out Asahi for assistance. His other friend just beamed back at him and wrapped his long arms around the both of them, sighing with contentment.

“We missed you, Daichi.”

“I missed you guys too. At the moment I miss air.”

Suga’s laughter bubbled out of him as he finally released Daichi from his tight grip. “So, what are we going to do first? You have no more responsibilities today, right?”

“Right, Kuroo’s out all day for a book signing and drinking thing after.”

“Aw, I was hoping to meet him!”

“Tomorrow, he promised he’d hang out with us then. You guys picked a good weekend, usually, he doesn’t have time to leave the apartment. Let’s stop by my place first so you can drop off your stuff and I can change, then we’ll go get some lunch.”

“Mmm, sounds good to me,” Asahi said as his head swiveled around at the shops and restaurants they passed by. It wasn’t their first time to Tokyo, but they were excited to have the chance to experience the city with Daichi since he’d lived there for two years already.

He was fortunate to have an apartment not too far from the station, though he paid for it by its meager size. There was just one small bedroom, hardly big enough for his own futon, let alone two extras for his friends. As he tried to apologize for the tight fit, Suga and Asahi waved him off, assuring him that they wouldn’t be spending much time in that room anyway. The rest of the apartment wasn’t much better, just room enough for a sofa with a TV across it and a cozy kitchen. It felt strange to be there at all, considering how much time he’d been spending at Kuroo’s lately.  Despite Kuroo never setting foot in Daichi’s apartment, it felt lonely and empty, even with his two best friends squeezing into it with him.

Desperate for some air and food in his belly, Daichi dragged them out of his apartment as soon as they had settled their luggage in and changed their clothes. He wasn’t satisfied with the food choices around his apartment, so he ushered them back on the train to the next stop which happened to be one of the more popular shopping districts of Tokyo. There the three old friends soaked in the energy of the bustling sidewalks and colorful shop windows. They laughed as they caught each other up on their lives, swapping funny stories and gossiping about people they all knew back home.

Daichi was already feeling better, he had no idea why he was even feeling a little down. _I really need more friends_ , he thought, wondering how his mood became so dependent on being around his new boyfriend.

“Wow, that’s a big crowd,” Asahi mused as he pointed across the street at a bookshop.

“Yeah, it is. I wonder what’s going—” Daichi began and trailed off as he spied a giant poster beside the door with familiar characters scrawled across it. “Oh! That’s where Kuroo’s event is. Wow, I knew he was popular but look at them all.”

“Kuroo’s in there? Let’s go peek!” Suga shouted, grabbing hold of their arms and dragging them into the crosswalk. The bookshop had two separate entrances, one still open to the public and the other closed off for the long line of patrons waiting for a chance to see Kuroo in person and get his autograph on the latest publication. From what Daichi could tell, more than half the line was made up of young women, talking excitedly and fixing up their appearances. Daichi glared at them and wished he could tell them that Kuroo was taken, but a jab from Suga’s elbow snapped him out of his jealous mood.

“Cool it, Loverboy, this is just part of his job. It’s not like he’s a stripper.”

“God, he would be so good at it.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my prudish Sawamura Daichi?” Suga laughed as he cupped his hands around his eyes to see in the window.

“I was never prudish! It’s just that I’ve never met anyone like him before and just being around him has made me more assertive.”

“Whew, I can see why! He’s sexy.”

“Let me see!” Asahi nudged Suga over a little so he could peer over the top of his silver hair. “Oh wow. Daichi, I’m impressed.”

“He doesn’t usually look like that… thank goodness. Otherwise, I’d never get anything done.”

“Who’s that with him? They look close.”

Daichi frowned and looked in the window himself, feeling a bit foolish spying on his boyfriend. He snorted when he spotted Daishou sitting next to Kuroo, both wearing polite smiles as they greeted the next fan.

“Oh, that’s his editor. Ha, they really can pretend they like each other, usually they’re at each other’s throats.” Daichi’s eyes flickered from Daishou to Kuroo, his chest constricting once again at the sight of him. Kuroo leaned forward, listening intently as a young boy talked wildly with his hands flailing in the air. His smile stretched wide and his eyebrows shot up as the boy got to a particularly dramatic part of his speech. He tipped his head back with a laugh and reached forward to ruffle the boy’s hair. The entire scene was adorable, and it loosened the tightness of Daichi’s chest seeing Kuroo’s warm treatment of his fans.

“You alright, Dai?” Suga asked as he leaned away from the window, observing Daichi with calculating brown eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s crazy seeing this side of him. I mean, his apartment is massive, and I know he can afford a lot of things I could never, but actually seeing the evidence of his status is a bit alarming.”

“You’re not getting cold feet, are you? Thinking unnecessary things?”

“No way. I just can’t wait to get him all to myself again,” Daichi assured him with a wink. Suga’s frown melted into a content smile and nodded.

“Good. Come on, I’m starving. And if I stare at Kuroo in that suit any longer I’m going to steal it from him. Damn it, it’s nice.”

“Yeah,” Asahi agreed, still peering in the window, “You’d look really good in it, Suga.”

Daichi and Suga turned slowly and gazed at their taller friend as he flinched, realizing what he had said in such a dreamy voice.

“Uh, I mean anyone would look good in it. You too, Daichi!”

“Somehow I feel like you don’t really mean that,” Daichi teased, reaching around Suga and prodding Asahi in the ribs. He couldn’t see Suga’s face, but he could just barely see the edges of his ears turning red.

“Um, we should go eat, I’m starving!” Suga said suddenly, shoving his hands in his pockets and rushing down the street. Asahi chased after him, but Daichi spared one more glance at Kuroo before following suit with a heavy sigh. Something interesting was brewing between his friends and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to deal with it. He was certain neither of them were either.

Luckily, most of the awkwardness faded as they settled in for lunch at one of Daichi’s favorite restaurants. Daichi and Asahi laughed at the expression on the chef’s face when Suga requested extra spice on his Super Spicy Mapo Tofu and his insistence on Suga signing a waiver before tasting it. Now that they had seen Kuroo, it was Daichi’s turn to fill them in on what life had been like for him working for the mangaka. It was fun, recounting the last few months of them flirting back and forth and getting to know Kuroo’s friends, who were also his assistants. Daichi wished they had time to meet up with all of them, knowing that Suga and Asahi would like them as well, particularly Kai and Yaku.

The rest of the afternoon was fun, ducking in and out of shops and making fun of each other for their bad taste in purchases. It felt like they were back in high school and at any second, they would be assaulted by their boisterous underclassmen. Instead, Daichi felt his phone buzzing in his pocket and saw he was receiving a call from work.

“Sorry guys, I have to take this.”

“That’s fine!” Suga waved him off as he held up a hideous sweater against Asahi’s chest. Daichi snickered and hoped he’d convince Asahi to buy it as he stepped outside the shop.

“Hello? This is Sawamura.”

“ _Sawamura-kun! I’m so sorry to bother you when you’re already done with work._ ”

“No, no, it’s no trouble. What can I do for you Hino-san?” Daichi asked his boss politely. He always respected the older man’s professionalism and knew it would have to be important under the circumstances.

“ _I just wanted to let you know that this will be your last week under contract with Nohebi. The week after that you’ll be back with Imada-san, the poor woman is having surgery on her other knee this time and will have some difficulty for a while. And she requested you personally, so I..._ ” Hino’s voice droned on, but Daichi was only paying half attention. It was a warm day with the sun peeking over the tall buildings to envelop Daichi with heated light, but his skin remained cold and clammy. It was only when Hino kept repeating his name that he jerked out of his stupor and cleared his throat.

“Sorry, um, why am I no longer being contracted with Nohebi?”

“ _They didn’t give a reason, though they ended the contract with many compliments, so I doubt it was due to any complaint. Well, I’ll let you get back to your evening. Enjoy your weekend, Sawamura-kun_!”

“Yes, you too, Sir.”

The phone went dead and Daichi pulled it away from his ear, feeling numb all over. He thought things were going well working for Kuroo, perhaps Nohebi found out about their relationship and disapproved? He had to admit it probably wasn’t the best idea to date a client, but his office didn’t have any rules against it. Most likely because they never needed to, considering the typical age for their clients. He briefly wondered if it was Kuroo who ended it, but he immediately shook those thoughts away. Kuroo was usually trying to keep him in his apartment, not locking him out.

Daichi winced at that thought, remembering the key he had to Kuroo’s apartment and knew he’d probably have to return it. It almost felt like a break-up, although it had nothing to do with their relationship. Picturing what his life would be like when he switches clients filled him with the cold chill of loneliness. He would miss the liveliness of Kuroo’s apartment and taking care of his every need. There wasn’t another human being he enjoyed caring for more, and he wished there was some way he could continue doing so.

“Daichi? Are you okay?” Asahi asked as he slipped out of the shop. Daichi sighed and shook his head.

“I don’t know, that was my work and… where’s Suga?”

“He’s inside buying a couple things.”

“I’ll wait until he comes out, I don’t want to repeat it.”

Asahi nodded solemnly and fell silent. There was comfort in his friend’s presence, something he greatly missed. There were times he craved Suga’s brash encouragement, and there were times he ached for Asahi’s calm aura, as long as he wasn’t freaking out about something, of course. Eventually, Suga emerged and seeing how Daichi’s mood had dropped and the fact that they had been out most of the day, they decided to go back to his apartment for the rest of the evening. As they walked, he retold the whole conversation between him and his boss, the other two remaining silent as he unloaded all his thoughts and disappointment.

“Do you think Daishou knows of your relationship?” Suga asked cautiously, his lips pressed in a tight line.

“He definitely knows He was there when you were giving Kuroo all my bad points, remember?”

“Do you think he told his boss about it?”

Daichi frowned as he considered it. He knew Daishou acted like he couldn’t stand Kuroo, and perhaps that was true, but he had a feeling the editor cared more about Kuroo than he let on. At the very least, he had already acknowledged that Daichi has been a good influence over Kuroo’s health and that his work was improving, disregarding the hiccup over his new villain.

“No, I don’t think so. At least I don’t think he’d do it on purpose.”

“Hm, well there’s no use worrying about reasons until you talk to Kuroo personally about it.”

“ _Why_ they ended my contract is only half the reason I’m worried about it. I just… Kuroo is so busy, and the main reason we’ve been able to establish a relationship is the fact that I see him every day. Taking care of him like I was, it was like we were already in a long-term relationship before we actually started going out. Take that away, and we’ll both be exhausted whenever we see each other and eventually he’ll probably lose interest in me.”

Pain shot through Daichi’s ribs as a fist jabbed into it and he was barely able to stop himself before the impact shoved him into the building they were walking past. He groaned as he chided himself for not walking with Asahi between him and Suga, knowing the latter’s violent tendencies.

“Stop talking nonsense! True, it’ll be hard not seeing him as much, but he’s not going to lose interest. I only spoke to him that once on the phone, and it was obvious that he was crazy about you. Every time I listed one of your bad traits, he just giggled and said _cuuuuute_. If he wasn’t scared off by that stuff, I doubt a little separation would cool him off.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“Ugh, Asahi, back me up on this,” Suga requested as he glanced up next to him and recoiled at the nervous look on his friend’s face.

“But, what if he’s right? Daichi finally found someone great and they’re trying to separate them! Is it really so impossible to find real love and have it last? Is it even worth it?”

Suga gaped at him for a few moments, and Daichi wasn’t sure if he was going to punch him as well or kiss his worries away. Either way, he wasn’t sure his taller friend’s heart could handle it, so he tugged on Suga’s sleeve to pull his attention back.

“It’s fine, Suga. Listening to him freak out actually relaxed me a little.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah,” Daichi sighed, giving them both a reassuring smile. “I missed you guys.”

 Suga beamed at his old friend and gripped his fingers into his shirt, yanking Daichi between him and Asahi to sandwich him in another hug. “We missed you too! Maybe we should move to Tokyo.”

“Yeah, I think that would— did you say we?” Asahi asked, but Suga laughed and waved him off.

“Let’s stop by a shop to pick up some ingredients. Asahi and I will cook _you_ dinner since you’re putting us up.”

“No, I’ll still cook. You’ll make it too spicy and besides, I need to keep myself busy, so I don’t worry myself to death.”

“Does that help?” Asahi asked seriously. Daichi and Suga laughed and both gave him a _loving_ punch on the arm.

“I’m sorry for bringing the mood down when you guys are on vacation. No more pity parties from now on, I promise.”

“Good, otherwise I was going to ditch you two and go to a club instead.”  
“Suga!”

“That goes for you too, Negativity Beard! Perk up before I do something drastic.”

After Suga’s last ominous words, Asahi looked even more worried as he contemplated what Suga could do that would be more drastic than decorating his arm and ribs with bruises. Even he was able to relax once they made it back to the apartment and settled for a cozy night in. Daichi insisted on the pair relaxing on the sofa while they chose a program to watch while he carried on making supper. Occasionally, he peeked over his shoulder at the two of them, sitting closer than they used to with eyes full of tenderness whenever their gazes met.

Daichi itched to ask them about it. He was dying to know when things had started to change. Was it a single event that switched their thinking? Or perhaps it was gradual. He sighed and turned his focus back to his cooking before he burned it like his eggs from that morning. As curious as he was, he knew they needed to figure it out before he started plaguing them with questions.

Perhaps the weekend away would be exactly what they needed. The view from Skytree was particularly romantic, and if Kuroo was with them then they could wander away and give the pair some privacy. Daichi sighed again since a handsome mangaka with perpetual bedhead invaded his thoughts. He was impatient to see him and talk about his new work arrangement, and he hoped they would be able to enjoy their time out as well. Despite having company, it would technically be their first date outside of the apartment and Daichi wanted it to be special.

For dinner, they all huddled around Daichi’s tiny table in the kitchen, seated on foldable chairs. They snickered every time their knees bumped, or Asahi accidentally drank out of Suga’s glass, his face turning bright red when Daichi mumbled _indirect kiss_ under his breath. No matter how much time had passed, spending time with his friends made him feel like eighteen again. It was refreshing, and Daichi hoped they would consider looking for jobs in Tokyo or at least make the trek out to visit him more.

When they all settled down to watch a movie, the quietness allowed Daichi’s mind to wander back to the events of the day. He propped his cheek on his fist as his gaze drifted away from the TV and on a blank spot on the wall, wondering if he and Kuroo would be able to make their relationship work under the circumstances. He wanted to be optimistic, but any thread of self-doubt that he had was suddenly blown out of proportion.

He glanced next to him when he heard whispering, his lips curling up at the edges as he saw Suga leaning into Asahi’s arm, his face lifted as high as he could to reach Asahi’s ear. _Hmm, maybe I should go to bed. That lets me brood and them cuddle in privacy._ Before he could make any decisions, however, his phone started buzzing again in his pocket. He blinked in surprise when he saw Daishou’s name flash across the screen.

“Do you need us to pause it?” Suga asked, trying to glance at it over his shoulder.

“No, it’s fine,” Daichi said quickly as he slipped off the sofa and wandered into the bedroom, so he didn’t disturb their movie. “Hello?”

“ _Sawamura? Hey, sorry to bother you, are you at your home_?”

“Yes, is something the matter?”

“ _Oh, good, then that idiot won’t be waiting on your doorstep in the cold. So, I’ll just go ahead and apologize for his state when he gets there, I didn’t expect him to take off like he did_.”

“What do you mean? Is Kuroo alright?”

“ _Well, we finished up our drinks and were parting ways when I told him about the company ending your contract. It wasn’t my decision, just so you know. If I had my way, I’d steal you from your company and just hire you as Kuroo’s private caregiver, you know? But the busy season’s over for him and Nohebi doesn’t want to spend the extra money if he’s not going to need it, and no amount of me arguing about it helped. I’m sorry._ ”

“Oh, so that’s what it was,” Daichi sighed, feeling a little relief knowing the reason was more about the money than any issues with him dating Kuroo. “I take it he didn’t take the news well?”

“ _Uh, you’ll probably find out for yourself soon enough. He’s pretty tipsy, so have fun_!” Daishou ended the call with a round a devious chuckles and Daichi rolled his eyes. Just when he thought Kuroo’s editor was caring he’d reveal his mirth at seeing others suffer.

Daichi bit his lip as he slipped out of his room, not sure what to expect. He had given Kuroo his address for emergencies, but he had never invited him over considering they were always at Kuroo’s apartment already. He was also reluctant for Kuroo to see the size of his shoebox apartment.

“Daichi? What’s going on?” Suga asked, pausing the movie and peering at Daichi from the back of the sofa. Asahi was frowning at him as well and Daichi did his best to wave them off.

“It’s fine, that was Daishou explaining why Nohebi let me go. Apparently, it was more about money than anything. It was weird though, he said Kuroo was coming over because of it. I hope he’s okay, it’s kind of late,” He said, glancing at his watch. There was a slamming noise against his door, causing everyone to flinch.

“What the hell was that?” Suga asked, but Daichi laughed as he rushed to the door, unlocking it and swinging it open wide. His devastatingly handsome boyfriend spilled onto the floor, blinking in confusion as he peered up at him. When their eyes met, Kuroo gasped, scrambled up to his knees, and buried his face into Daichi’s stomach as his arms wrapped around his waist.

“Sawamura! Daishou just told me, it’s not fair! I’ll hire you myself if your company will let me, I can afford it. Give me the number for your superiors, I’ll make a new contract, so you never have to leave—”

“It’s too late,” Daichi interrupted, doing his best not to laugh at Kuroo’s muffled blubbering against his stomach. His statement, however, caused Kuroo’s back to stiffen and he gazed up at Daichi with glassy eyes and a trembling lip.

“What do you mean it’s too late?  Are you leaving me over this?”

Daichi’s heart nearly gave out and he cupped Kuroo’s red cheeks as he leaned down and kissed him gently.

“No, of course not,” He chuckled when he pulled back, running his thumbs across Kuroo’s cheekbones and marveled how even in such a state he could be so handsome. “I mean it’s too late to hire me, my boss already signed me on to a new client.”

Kuroo’s eyes flashed with anger as he scrambled to his feet and loomed over Daichi. Had anyone walked in at that moment, they would have thought he was being threatened by a member of the yakuza with the intimidating aura flowing around Kuroo.

“Who’s your new client? I can probably buy them off.”

“Ah, that would be Imada-san, a sweet little old woman who’s having knee surgery again.” Daichi smirked as Kuroo’s serious face faltered and he sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

“Oh, again?”

“Yeah, I helped her through it the last time, which is why she requested me. She also makes really good cookies.”

“She does, huh? You seem to be doing better with the news than I thought you would. I guess I’m the only one who’s devastated,” Kuroo sniffed, fixing his disheveled suit with a slight pout on his lips. He turned to make for the door when Daichi grabbed hold of his jacket and pulled him back into his arms with a laugh.

“Of course, I’m devastated! I’m going to miss spending all day in your apartment and taking care of you. Ever since my boss told me, I’ve been worried that you won’t be interested in me anymore once I’m not around you all the time and taking care of things.”

“That’s ridiculous! My love for you isn’t that pathetic, and it’s definitely not based on the fact that you clean up after me or cook for me. I mean, I love those things but that’s not why I like you! We just need to make sure we still see each other and I’m sure it’ll be fine...“ His voice drifted off as he finally looked around the apartment he was standing in. “This is your place?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s tiny! Like the playhouse my Dad made me when I was little. Wait, wait, no I was kidding!” He shouted as Daichi tried to shove him out the front door. “But this gives me the perfect idea! The solution to all our problems!”

“And that is?”

Kuroo grasped his arms and leaned forward, his face hovering above Daichi’s with excitement radiating off him like sunbeams. “You can move in with me!”

“Huh?”

“See, it’s perfect! You can take care of that old lady, and at the end of the day, you can come home to me! I’m not so busy from now on that I can help with chores and cooking… well, I can order food, and then our relationship will be our own! No contracts, just us being together because we want to be.”

Kuroo paused in his speech to let the idea soak into Daichi, his throat bobbing nervously as he waited. Daichi resisted the urge to just shout out a resounding _yes_. He wanted to be logical about everything because above all else he wanted his relationship with Kuroo to last. Every instinct of his wanted to just pack his bags that moment and go back to Kuroo’s apartment with him, but there had to be a catch somewhere.

“I’m not saying no, Kuroo, I’d really like to move in with you. But, don’t you think you should ask me in the morning when you’re sober? You might feel very differently about the idea then.”

“No, I won’t.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because I know how I feel about you, drunk or sober. And I’m not really that drunk, I was just a little tipsy earlier but most of that’s worn off. I know how I’ve felt every day since you came into my life and I don’t want to lose it because we’re too busy to see each other. I remember the first morning I woke up with you in my arms, and I’ve been aching for it ever since. Maybe even just try it for a bit, you can keep your apartment here if it doesn’t work out. Then, when your lease is up, you can officially move in with me.”

“But we haven’t even been together that long! What if you get tired of me being in your space?”

“You’re kidding, right? Sawamura, you clean my underwear and scrub my toilet already. Some mornings I wake up and you’re already there and trust me, that’s how I prefer it. Now, any more excuses?”

Daichi tried to restrain the smile spreading across his face, but it was impossible to subdue his excitement. His mind was running so fast, he could only shake his head to let Kuroo know that he had no more qualms about moving in with him. Kuroo whooped and swept Daichi into his arms, twirling him around before he had to stop since he couldn’t handle Daichi’s weight any more than that.

“This is the best day ever! Well, I still wish you worked for me, so you didn’t have to leave at all. Come on, let’s get your stuff and go home.”

“Wait, I can’t!”

“Huh?! Come on, Sawamura, we’ve been over this already—”

“No, I mean I can’t tonight. I have company,” He said, gesturing toward the sofa. Kuroo followed the direction his palm was pointing and flinched when he saw Suga and Asahi watching the whole scene with rapt attention.

“Have you two been here the whole time?!”

“Yup! Don’t mind us, you guys are way more entertaining than this movie!” Suga giggled, waving for them to continue as Asahi nodded his agreement.

“Yeah, that was really romantic,” He sighed, and Kuroo slipped his fingers in his collar that was suddenly too constricting against his hot skin.

“I take it you’re Sugawara and Azumane? Sorry, this wasn’t how I wanted to meet Daichi’s best friends.”

“Honestly, this is the best possible way for you to meet us,” Suga assured him with bright innocent eyes and the smile he stole from the devil. “Now we have something to make fun of you for! Especially when you two are getting married and I have to give my best man speech.”

“Or I can just have Asahi as my best man.”

Suga gasped in mock offense. “You wouldn’t! Besides, he wouldn’t be able to handle that kind of pressure.”

“Please don’t make me your best man, Daichi,” Asahi said, his deep voice trembling slightly as he stared down at the floor. “I could handle everything but the speech, I know I’d mess it up.”

Suga wrapped his arm around him and glared at Daichi like it was all his fault. Daichi rolled his eyes and turned back to Kuroo, reaching out to grab his hand and thread their fingers together.

“Look, I know my apartment is tiny and there’s already three of us squeezing in my bedroom, but would you stay with us tonight? We can share my futon,” He suggested as he leaned up toward Kuroo, licking his smirking lips to tempt the taller man in front of him.

“Oh? Is your futon small?”

“Barely big enough for me.”

“Mmm, sounds perfect,” Kuroo purred, wrapping an arm around Daichi’s waist to pull him closer. “More excuses to snuggle closer.”

Daichi huffed a quiet laugh as their lips pressed gently together, shutting his eyes to focus purely on the warmth of the kiss. As embarrassed as he was by the size of his apartment, the thought of having Kuroo stay with him for once was exciting, especially since it may be their only chance. Before they could surrender to deeper kissing, however, Suga cleared his throat obnoxiously from the sofa.

“Yeah, we’re still here and _will_ be all night. So, no funny business.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Suga-chan!” Kuroo assured him with a wide toothy grin.

“Alright, you two go back to the movie. I’m going to take this insanely expensive suit off my boyfriend and put him in something more comfortable. It may take a while, so knock if you have to come in.”

Kuroo released a fiendish giggle as Daichi hooked his fingers around his tie and tugged him to the bedroom. When they reached the bedroom door, Daichi opened it and shoved Kuroo inside as he gave Suga and Asahi a smug grin.

“And we’ll try to announce when we’re coming back in here, just in case you two wanted to take the chance to release your own pent-up sexual frustration you’ve been holding onto. Have fun!” He snickered as he shut the door on his friends’ shocked and flushed faces and turned to face his boyfriend who was taking in every aspect of the room.

“So, this is your bedroom. Cozy.” He turned his gaze to Daichi and smiled deviously as his nimble fingers played with the buttons of his suit jacket. “Now, what would you rather have, Sawamura? Do you want to take this suit off me as you suggested earlier? Or would you like to watch me remove it… slowly.”

It seemed like his room had suddenly become a sauna as Daichi watched Kuroo pop the first button, his fingers trailing languidly to the next one down. He licked his lips, contemplating what to do. It would be agony to watch Kuroo strip and not be able to touch, but somehow, he knew it would be worth it.

“How about this?” Daichi said, clearing his throat when his voice came out higher than expected. “I watch you take it off, but if you take too long, I’m going to get handsy and it may not be gentle.”

“Is that supposed to influence me to go faster?” Kuroo chuckled as he popped another couple of buttons. He shrugged the jacket over his shoulders and let it slip down his arms, falling into a heap on the floor. Daichi followed the movement meticulously, enjoying the reveal until he frowned at the jacket at Kuroo’s feet. He glanced back up when Kuroo sighed and ran his fingers through his messy hair.

“Do you seriously want me to pick it up?”

“It’s such a nice suit, Kuroo.”

“What’s more important, me or this?” He huffed, giving the jacket a little kick. Daichi laughed and cross the room in two steps to wrap his arms around Kuroo’s slender waist.

“You, Idiot. Let me help you with the rest; if I watch you anymore, we’ll definitely end up fooling around.”

“What was that you were saying to them before you shut the door?” Kuroo asked, gesturing with a nod of his head to the door as Daichi unraveled his tie.

“Oh, I told them to take the chance to release their sexual frustration with each other.”

“You didn’t tell me something was going on between them.”

“I didn’t know until I saw them, and I don’t think they’ve even talked about it yet.”

“Ha! So, you’re giving them the push. Fine by me, more time for just us,” He murmured as he nuzzled into Daichi’s hair. “You know, we can pack some stuff up in the morning and go to my place. That way they could stay in the guest bedroom and have some time to themselves.”

“The guest bedroom?! What kind of state is that in? You haven’t even let me enter it.”

“It’s… not terrible, just filled with extra art supplies and futons for the guys if they have to crash at my place. But that way we can move your stuff in at the same time, and we’ll already be close to the sights! What do you say, Sawamura?” He asked in a low voice, giving Daichi those bedroom eyes that could convince him that the Earth was flat if he wanted to. But Daichi didn’t need to be convinced. It had been a while since his own apartment ceased feeling like his home, certain that his place was with Kuroo. He met Kuroo’s gaze with as much tenderness as he could muster as he lifted himself on his toes, wrapping his arms around Kuroo’s neck to pull him lower.

“Yeah, sounds perfect.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh it's finally finished! I'm actually really glad I posted the previous chapters already, took a little pressure off this final chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it! Now I might go back into hiding for a week or two while I finish up a certain Secret Santa piece that I can tell you all nothing about... except that it'll be Kurodai, ha ha, big surprise. After that, I'm planning on finishing up the final chapter of Double Dose and the next two chapters of The Dragons of Seijoh! a;lkfjd;kl I'm exhausted, lol.


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